Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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EU grants to finance the construction of two motorway sections of Corridor Vc -
EBRD support for Corridor Vc amounts to €821 million, plus €570 million in EU grants. -
Additional funds for Visoko water supply extension project
Projects financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Bosnia Herzegovina received additional support from the European Union (EU) and bilateral donors Investment framework for the Western Balkans (WBIF).
The EU is providing a grant of 42.8 million euros for the construction of two sections of Corridor Vc, the main transport link that will connect the country to the EU. The financing includes €30.8 million for the Rudanka Interchange–Putnikovo Brdo Tunnel section (which was financed by a €150 million loan from the EBRD) and €12 million for the Putnikovo Brdo–Medakovo tunnel Interchange (which was financed by a €60 million loan from the EBRD). ).
Furthermore, a grant of one million euros was signed for the project to extend the water supply in Visoko as well as for the repair of the existing network in the municipality. The project was also financed by an EBRD loan of €4.5 million.
The signing of the grant agreements took place today in the presence of representatives of the EBRD, the EU and the Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zoran Tegeltija.
Manuela Naessl, EBRD Head for Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: “Together with our European partners, we are determined to continue supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in completing the construction of Corridor Vc. The new highway is already helping to improve the quality of transportation and business in the country and we look forward to future construction progress.
Johann Sattler, EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: “The EU will continue to be a loyal friend and partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing support for projects that have a concrete beneficial impact for the population of this country. I am pleased that after the signing of today’s grant agreements, further sections of the important Corridor 5c motorway can be built and the water supply around Visoko renovated to ensure access to drinking water. The ambassador also added that the EU’s financial contribution over the years has increased significantly, reaching the current contribution of 40 percent.
Corridor Vc is a pan-European transport project. The section in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 325 kilometers long, will cross the country from north to south, ultimately linking the Adriatic port of Ploče in Croatia to the Hungarian capital, Budapest.
The highway is mainly co-financed by loans from the EBRD and European Investment Bank (EIB) and EU grants. To date, the EBRD has provided loans worth €821 million from its own resources to the project, while investment and technical assistance grants from the EU have totaled more than €570 million. euros.
The water extension project in Visoko will allow new consumers to connect to the network and at the same time, by providing running water, improve the standard of living of the population of the municipality. It will also help reduce water losses, increase resilience to climate change and improve the quality of supply to existing customers through repairs to the existing network.