The Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development presented in Dubrovnik on Monday a study on the economic, transport and demographic impact of the construction of the Pelješac Bridge.
The study was commissioned early this year from experts of the faculties of economics and transport in Zagreb to see whether it was justified to build one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Croatia which will connect all parts of the country into one integrated traffic system, said the state secretary for the sea, Branko Bacic.
He underlined that construction was justified from the geopolitical, economic and transport aspects.
The construction of the Pelješac Bridge will significantly improve traffic flow and the traffic connection of Croatia's south with the rest of the country as well as within Dubrovnik-Neretva County, reduce the time and costs of travel, and raise traffic safety, with the number of casualties expected to drop about 20%, the presentation heard.
Car, bus and truck traffic is expected to go up 5% in the coming period and the construction of the bridge will put an end to the traffic disintegration and isolation of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, said Ivan Bošnjak of the Zagreb Faculty of Transport Studies, adding that the bridge would also revitalize Peljesac peninsula.
Economist Branimir Lokin said that those objecting to the construction were clashing with Croatia's development as the bridge would bring about a development explosion in southern Croatia as well as in two neighboring cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He estimated that the construction would increase employment by 3.6% and investment by 6.8% as well as attract considerable capital, thus facilitating dynamic development.
(Hina)