By the end of the year, Baška will receive two bridges worth six million kuna

Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković visited on Thursday the construction works on the state road from the Krk Bridge to Baška in the south of the island, as part of which new bridges Baška Draga II and Baška Draga III are being built, with a total value of almost 6 million kuna and which should be completed by the end of the year. The project includes the reconstruction of part of the state road D 102 and the construction of new bridges, on a section of approximately 500 meters and the arrangement of the Suha Ričina riverbed in the construction zone, including drainage. The planned completion of the works is 5 months, and the contractor is a consortium of bidders consisting of GP Krk and Viadukt. The project was developed by the company Trafficon, and the expert supervision is carried out by the Institute IGH.

The first phase includes the construction of the bridge “Baška Draga II”, the reconstruction of the section of the state road, and the arrangement of the Suha Ričina riverbed in the bridge construction zone. The reconstruction of the roadway involves relocating the route outside the existing bridge and correcting the horizontal elements of the road route at the crossing over the watercourse. The bridge is 21.16 meters long, and together with the so-called wings, it measures 33.27 meters. The second phase includes the construction of the bridge Baška Draga III, also the reconstruction of the section of the state road and the arrangement of the riverbed. The length of the new bridge is 21.16 meters, and together with the wings, it measures 31.77 meters.

Minister Butković stated that this part of the road had been a “bottleneck, of which there were several before Baška, that the works, due to the tourist season, are not in full swing, but that he believes the contractor will complete them on time. He expressed satisfaction that Croatian Roads, he says, take care that all state roads in Croatia are evenly renewed, and that “black spots” and “bottlenecks” are being resolved. Butković said that he discussed with representatives of Croatian Roads and local government today about the large infrastructure project of the Baška bypass, which has already been initiated in agreement with the municipality of Baška. The spatial plan has defined the route, and now it is up to Croatian Roads to expedite the preparation of studies and project documentation, in order to close financing, which is now possible and likely through EU funds, he said.

Blue Highway

He mentioned that they also discussed the “old story of the Blue Highway” as a possibility and necessity for the island of Krk, that it is necessary to see what is with that project in the spatial plans of local units, and then in cooperation with Croatian Roads consider the preparation of studies and documentation.

– There is no need to make promises about when that will be, but we must start preparing the documentation so that in a few years we are ready to embark on that large investment, he emphasized.

When asked about road priorities in the county, Butković replied that it is the highway Križišće – Žuta lokva, that the European Commission will not finance highways at this moment, but that the design and preparation of studies have begun and that the project would be implemented in phases. He emphasized that some concessionaires are also coming forward, that there is public interest in the concession and public-private partnership model, and that everyone, the county, the City of Rijeka, and the state, must push together for that large project.

Road Priorities

Among the priorities is the construction of the state road D 403, which will connect the western part of the Rijeka port and the Rijeka bypass, along with the completion of the terminal on the Zagreb coast. The documentation for this road is nearing completion, and the county must hurry with the preparation of its master plan, as this is the basis for D 403 to be eligible for EU funding, said Butković, adding that the completion of the Istrian Y has also been agreed, the first phase from Pazin to the Učka Tunnel.

He added that agreements with the concessionaire BINA Istra have been finalized and that the technical government cannot make a formal decision, but that, since there are permits, construction can begin by the end of the year. When asked about the construction of a four-lane road to Valbiska, Butković said that it is in the plans, that it is necessary to see what is with the documentation and to determine priorities.

Deputy Mayor of Baška Hajrudin Mulaosmanović stated that Baška was visited by 160,000 tourists last year with 930,000 overnight stays, which is about a quarter of the tourist traffic of the island of Krk. According to a traffic study from 2007, the average daily traffic to Baška during the season is 6,600 vehicles, and annually 2,600 vehicles. Since then, the number of accommodation capacities has increased by about 20 percent, so these indicators, and due to the increase in daily migrations to the beaches, have increased by more than 20 percent. Mulaosmanović added that it is also necessary to resolve the problem of the road through Draga Bašćanska, which is very dangerous, narrow, and one-lane in one part.