Croatian section of Corridor Vc motorway opens
- 17.5-km section of Corridor Vc motorway between Halasica Bridge and the town of Beli Manastir in Croatia officially opens
- Priority infrastructure project supported by €55 million EBRD loan
- Motorway to boost European integration
Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković, representatives of local and national government, and EBRD Head of Croatia Victoria Zinchuk officially opened a 17.5-km section of the Corridor Vc motorway between Halasica Bridge and the town of Beli Manastir in Croatia.
Corridor Vc is a major international transport link connecting Hungary and eastern Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Adriatic Sea. The majority of the 702-km route crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a key priority for the EBRD and its partners, in particular the European Union.
The completion of the Croatian part of Corridor Vc will enable full integration of the eastern areas of the Slavonia region into the road network and facilitate traffic connections between Croatia and Hungary, contributing to the economic development of the wider region.
The EBRD provided a loan of up to €55 million to the state-owned national motorways company HAC for the construction. In addition to the 17.5-km section, the Bank is also financing a 5-km stretch of motorway between the town of Beli Manastir and the Hungarian border, due for completion in 2024. The Bank’s financing was complemented by a €52 million loan from the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HAC).
Victoria Zinchuk said: “We are very pleased to support the completion of this trans-European corridor, which is a priority for Croatia and important for the development of the Slavonia and Baranya regions. It builds on the successful long-term cooperation between HAC and the EBRD and is a major step towards making European integration happen.”
To date, the EBRD has invested more than €4.4 billion in Croatia in 239 projects. The Bank’s activities cover all areas of the economy but are especially strong in the infrastructure, corporate, financial institutions and energy sectors.