Work has begun in the Sveti Rok and Mala Kapela tunnels

The Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development, Božidar Kalmeta, today marked the beginning of works on the arrangement of the second tubes in the Sveti Rok and Mala Kapela tunnels, announcing that the works will last 18 months and will be completed by the 2009 tourist season.

The value of the contracted works for the arrangement of the tube in the Sveti Rok tunnel amounts to approximately 150 million kuna excluding VAT, and nearly the same for the arrangement of the second tube in the Mala Kapela tunnel. The construction of the left tubes of these two tunnels is a complex construction undertaking, and the contracted works include  tunnel linings and pavement construction.  The length of the tunnel tube being arranged in the Sveti Rok tunnel is 5,679 meters, and in the Mala Kapela 5,761 meters. In the public international  tender for the arrangement of the tube in the Sveti Rok tunnel, a business association consisting of  Hidroelektra niskogradnja d.d. and Konstruktor-inženjering d.d.  was selected. The second tube in the Mala Kapela tunnel will be completed by a business association consisting of Vijadukt d.d. and Strabag AG.  Marking the beginning of the works, Minister Kalmeta stated that Sveti Rok is a symbol of infrastructural renewal in the Republic of Croatia after the Homeland War and that works are starting today, while in the Mala Kapela tunnel they are starting these days.

Kalmeta expressed confidence that the contractors will complete the job in the spring of 2009. It will be the completion of a beautiful story, the dot on the “i” in the construction of road infrastructure in the Republic of Croatia, Kalmeta stated, adding that during the term of this Government, 412 km of highways have been built, and by the end of the year there will be 450 km. He noted that the daily traffic through the Sveti Rok tunnel is at the level of 10,500 vehicles per year, and in summer days 30,500 vehicles. The highest traffic this year was 40,000 vehicles. Therefore, all conditions have been met to work on these two tubes, Kalmeta asserted. In the end, he expressed satisfaction that Croatian builders won in fierce competition in the public international tender. When asked to comment on statements by Radimir Čačić that the Government does not know what it is opening today, Minister Kalmeta replied that “Čačić has no idea what he is talking about.” “He once mockingly said that mushrooms would be grown in this tunnel and that is that great expert,” Kalmeta said. So far, one billion kuna has been invested in the Sveti Rok tunnel, and 515 million kuna in the Mala Kapela tunnel. (H)