Europe's incredible 'new' £357m bridge that enraged an entire country

A huge European bridge that spans almost 2,500 metres and cost a whopping £357m may be one of the most controversial ever built. The Pelješac Bridge, which opened in the summer of 2022, links southeastern Croatia to the rest of the country.

The 98 metre-high bridge allows vehicles to bypass a short coastal trip at Neum, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ensures drivers can go through Croatia without bypassing any border crossings. It links the coastal village of Komarna on the northern mainland to the peninsula. However, the bridge was strongly opposed by various political figures in Bosnia and Herzegovina who argued it would restrict their country's access to international waters. Bosnia's Civil Affairs Minister Adil Osmanovic claimed that Croatia had committed an act of "legal violence" by constructing the bridge.

The bridge, which was originally supposed to be 47 metres high, was opposed by politicians who argued it would have made it impossible for large ships to enter the harbour at Neum. Bosnian officials said it would also hinder their access to the Adriatic Sea.

They wrote a letter demanding that Croatia should "stop attacking the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a maritime state and stop all activities on building an illegal and politically violent bridge project."

As reported by N1, Mr Osmanovic said: "Bosnia’s Council of Ministers Chairman Denis Zvizdic and Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic both regretfully concluded that Croatia had ignored all our letters, warnings and calls for dialogue.

"Yesterday they brought in a Chinese company to build the bridge. That is legal violence against Bosnia and Herzegovina."

He added: "The construction of that building threatens the sovereignty of our country at sea and is in direct contradiction of the UN Convention. Bosnia must have free access to the sea. Yesterday the Council of Ministers Chairman sent a letter to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to resolve this issue.”

However, Croatia argued that the bridge was located exclusively within their territory and did not need consent from Bosnia and Herzegovina to build it. They also reiterated their commitmeent to respect the international rights of all countries in the Pelješac peninsula.

Bosnian MP Halid Genjac has stated that their official oppoistion of the bridge is still in force. He added that no official Bosnian body has given its consent to the construction of the bridge.

He said: "The claims that Croatia is building a bridge on its territory are incorrect because the sea waters beneath the Pelješac Bridge are not and cannot be Croatian or internal waters, but international waters stretching from the territorial waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the open sea."

Environmental groups in Croatia have also raised concerns about the bridge. They argue that its construction has caused harm to the marine ecosystem in the Bay of Mali Ston.

Meanwhile, other critics questioned the necessity of the bridge and instead suggested other options. These include an undersea tunnel or a more extensive agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The bridge was eventually built in four years by Slovenian structural engineer Marjan Pipenbaher and China Road and Bridge Corporation - a subsidiary of the majorly state-owned China Communications Construction Company. The involvement of Chinese investment has also raised questions around the potential for conflicts of interest.