Božidar Kalmeta, the Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development stated today in Karlovac that until the end of 2007/beginning of 2008 following very important objects should be finalized: the interchange in Novigrad, built on the highway Rijeka – Zagreb, the prolongation of the so-called ‘fast road’ through Karlovac to Vukmanićki Cerovac, the finalization of the inner city circle, and the construction of the bridge between Pokupska Blatnica and Banska Selnica.
The statement was preceded by a meeting attended by the Ministers Božidar Kalmeta and Branko Vukelić, the County Prefect Ivica Horvat and the Mayor Miro Škrgatić, as well as their co-workers involved in the ‘projects of road constructions important for the Karlovac County and the city of Karlovac’.
Branko Vukelić, the Minister of Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship, stated that a consensus had been reached with Hrvatske ceste on the finalization of the inner city circle, because the connection of the old river road over the "Alesandrija" Bridge to Ilovac towards Ozalj and Slovenia was very important for the building of the entrepreneurship zone in Drežnik.
Minister Kalmeta said that regarding the Novigrad interchange, the Environmental Impact Study was concluded, and that the main project and the construction permit would be ready by the end of this year, adding that the construction of the interchange included the building of two access branches. The whole project would cost up to HRK 100 million.
According to the project "fast roads", from the toll station on the Karlovac motorway to Vukmanićki Cerovac, a modern and safe fast road will be constructed including a new bridge over the Korana River. The project is about to begin and will cost up to HRK 300 million.
Inhabitants of the part of city named Rakovac have been waiting for years for a form of noise protection to be installed along the current "fast road". Mister Kalmeta said that those construction activities would start in 2005 and would be finalized during the first 3 months in 2006.