Plans for new dual-use Krk Island bridge unveiled

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The Croatian Highways (HAC) have announced an open tender for the development of study and traffic documentation up to the location permit for the new Krk Bridge with connecting roads.

This is part of the preparation for the construction of a bridge that will serve both road and rail traffic, extending to the new port terminal in Omišalj, which is also yet to be constructed, reported daily Novi list.

The project has long been outlined in the spatial plan of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and companies interested in developing study documentation can apply to the HAC tender by the deadline of January 29.

The proposed bridge will feature lanes for road traffic and a corridor for a railway line extending to the island of Krk. According to earlier projections, the bridge would have two levels: cars would travel on the upper level, while trains would operate on the lower level.

The bridge is designed to span the Mala Vrata channel and terminate at the Laterna peninsula. The existing Krk Bridge will continue to function even after the new one is built, but it will experience a significant reduction in traffic.

Realistically, the entire process is expected to take at least five years, including construction. For such large-scale projects, the environmental impact study alone can take up to two years on average, and the complete feasibility study for the project approximately three years.

Only after these steps will tenders for construction follow, and then the actual construction work, stated Gregor Mihelčić, the project design manager at HAC.