Preparations Begin for the Construction of a New Bridge Over the Sava River Near Orašje

The new bridge over the Sava River between Orašje and Županja is entering a more concrete preparation phase following a meeting between representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia dedicated to improving transport connectivity between the Posavina region and the Republic of Croatia. At the meeting held in Orašje, special focus was placed on the Study of Alternative Route Solutions for the Relocated State Road DC55 and the proposed location for the new bridge over the Sava, drafted by Hrvatske Ceste (Croatian Roads). Three potential variants were presented, and the next step will be selecting the solution upon which project preparation will continue.

It was agreed that a technical-level meeting will be held within a month, where competent institutions are expected to adopt a position on one of the offered variants. Federal Minister of Transport and Communications Andrijana Katić pointed out that this moves the project from the previous phase of discussions and planning into more concrete preparatory activities.

High-Level Delegations of Both States in Orašje

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of the Posavina Canton Đuro Topić, Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, Chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Dr. Dragan Čović, Representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Darijana Filipović, Federal Minister of Transport and Communications Katić with her associates, Federal Minister of Spatial Planning Željko Nedić, Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Orašje Dragan Beljo, President of the Management Board of Hrvatske Ceste Ivica Budimir, President of the Assembly of the Posavina Canton Blaž Župarić, Minister of Economy, Labor, and Spatial Planning of the Posavina Canton Dragutin Živković, Minister of Agriculture, Water Management, and Forestry of the Posavina Canton Mato Brkić, and Minister of Transport, Communications, and Environmental Protection of the Posavina Canton Pero Radić.

The Prime Minister of the Posavina Canton, Đuro Topić, emphasized that a higher-quality transport connection to the north is one of the most important issues for Posavina, especially due to the increased volume of traffic over the existing bridge and the heavy load on border crossings.

"Over the past two years, Hrvatske Ceste has prepared a study featuring three possible solutions. After the most favorable variant is chosen, the proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia," stated the Prime Minister of the Posavina Canton, Đuro Topić.

Minister Butković announced that following the final selection and justification of the chosen variant, Hrvatske Ceste will launch the process of developing the conceptual design and the environmental impact study during 2027.

"The goal is then to obtain a location permit and proceed with the creation of the main project, which would establish the conditions for further steps toward the construction of the new bridge," Butković concluded.

Good Connectivity with Other Road Routes

From the Bosnia and Herzegovina side, the project is also linked to the future Orašje-Tuzla highway. Preparation of the main project has already been initiated for the Orašje-Brčko section, meaning the new bridge will be connected to an important transport route heading into the interior of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.

Representative Filipović assessed that such projects hold a broader significance beyond mere road infrastructure, as they connect people and markets on both sides of the border, contributing to the economy and better integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union.

In addition to the new Orašje-Županja bridge project, the meeting covered other investments in the road infrastructure of the Posavina Canton, including projects in the areas of Orašje, Odžak, and Domaljevac-Šamac.

The construction of the new bridge has been among the most vital infrastructure topics in this part of Posavina for several years, primarily due to the growing burden on the current transport route across the Sava. Following the presentation of the alternative variants and the announced technical meeting, the project is expected to receive a more precise route and a clearer realization plan in the coming period.

Source: HRT