Friendship Bridge Bridges the Road to Development (Creating a New Era of Prosperity and Development Together) China | Bridge | Era
The sunshine covers Little Stone Bay in the Adriatic Sea in southern Croatia. Between the mountains and the sea, the Pereshac Bridge spanning the Croatian continent and the Pereshac Peninsula presents a beautiful arc.
At dawn, the vehicles on the bridge were already flowing incessantly. Christina Lovelik from the Croatian capital Zagreb is driving to the southern city of Dubrovnik. "Before the completion of the bridge, there was no direct road connecting the northern mainland of Croatia to the southern Perez á z Peninsula, and it was necessary to detour through the neighboring town of Nem in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both local residents and foreign tourists had to complete two border checks, which was quite cumbersome." Speaking of the changes brought about by the construction of the Perez á z Bridge, Lovelik was deeply touched: "The opening of this bridge has made everyone's travel more convenient, and our work and life have undergone gratifying changes. Thank you to the construction team from China!"
On both sides of a bridge, the natural moat becomes open. On July 26, one year ago, the Pereschatz Bridge, led by a consortium of Chinese enterprises led by China Road and Bridge Corporation, was officially opened to traffic. In the past year, the bridge has accumulated nearly 3 million vehicles, greatly reducing the travel time between related cities and driving the development of tourism, transportation, logistics and other industries, bringing tangible benefits to the local people.
The Croatian tourism in July ushered in a golden period. Tourists continue to flock to Dubrovnik, and the restaurant opened by Ivo, the village chief of Kolmana, is bustling with visitors. "The opening of the bridge has shortened the original 3-hour journey to less than half an hour, providing great convenience for local tourism and logistics. For our restaurant, this change is even more obvious, our income has increased, and our life is getting better and better." Ivo's face was filled with a satisfied smile.
"During the construction of the bridge, the project team overcame various difficulties and challenges and completed the construction tasks on schedule. The achievements made in the past year since its opening made every builder proud. Now, the bridge has become a local landmark, attracting many tourists to come here to take photos." said Daval Perridge, project manager of the Croatian Highway Association.
Selma Kundersen, a Croatian employee who used to work as a contract engineer for the Pereschatz Bridge project, still remembers the good times of bridge construction. "We celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival with our Chinese colleagues, and deeply felt the warmth and friendship of Chinese friends." Kundersen said, "I think that standing on the bridge many years later, I will proudly tell the children about my participation in the construction of the bridge, which is my lifelong glory."
It is understood that during the construction of the bridge, China Communications Second Engineering Bureau, the main construction unit of the Chinese side, actively cooperated with 18 design consulting companies and 45 construction companies from the European Union, as well as 112 equipment and material suppliers from Croatia, Germany, Poland and other countries. Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin stated, "The Pereshac Bridge project has truly achieved mutual benefit and common development among the three sides of China, Croatia, and Europe, setting an example for deepening practical cooperation in the future and deepening China's friendly image in the local area." The Pereshac Bridge, as a bridge of friendship, will also carry the good wishes of the Chinese people and play a greater role in Croatia's economic development.
