New fast road through Croatia to improve links with Bosnia and Herzegovina
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Croatia (Illustration)
The road stretching from Okučani in eastern Croatia towards Bosnia and Herzegovina is of particular interest to residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will use it as part of their journeys along the Banja Luka–Gradiška motorway.
With its construction, this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be connected to the Zagreb–Belgrade motorway, also known as Corridor X.
The Bosnian company Integral Engineering from Laktaši is responsible for the construction of the fast road through Croatia, specifically the Okučani–BiH border section.
The company is working on the second and third phases of the project, according to biznisinfo.ba.
The project is divided into three phases. The first phase involved building the bridge over the Sava River.
The second phase focuses on constructing the road from the Sava to the Novi Varoš interchange. The third phase includes the section from the Novi Varoš interchange to the toll booths in Okučani on the motorway to Zagreb.
This final segment, spanning 3.7 kilometres, began construction this year and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.
The completion of the road on the Croatian side will ensure that the new Gradiška Bridge can fully contribute to improving transport links between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
Jointly funded by Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia, the bridge offers numerous benefits for both nations, not only in terms of transportation but also economically.
The moment a worker connected the two sides symbolised the unification of two countries—one a member of the European Union, the other aspiring to join.
It also marked the continuation of cooperation on strategically important infrastructure projects aimed at modernising and enhancing traffic safety in both countries.
Travellers heading from Banja Luka will no longer need to pass through Gradiška via the old border crossing. Instead, they can travel directly from Banja Luka along the existing motorway to the border crossing and the newly constructed bridge, providing a seamless route towards Zagreb or Belgrade at Čatrnja.
