The construction of the Prenj tunnel will begin in 2023

31 Aug The construction of the Prenj tunnel will begin in 2023

By breaking the Prenj tunnel and building the highway on that route, the trip between Sarajevo and Mostar will be shortened by double; now it takes about two hours to drive from Sarajevo to Mostar on the M-17 highway.

Prenj tunnel is 10.5 kilometers long (with all accesses it amounts to about 12 kilometers) for which a few days ago the Public Enterprise Autoceste FBiH announced a pre-qualification tender.

That tunnel already leaves you breathless with its dimensions. There were numerous buildings on the highway that were worthy of attention and admiration due to their dimensions, such as the colossal Počitelj bridge, or the Babina Rijeka viaduct, which is the highest viaduct in Bosnia and Herzegovina at a height of 120 meters. Or, for example, the 1 March tunnel, which after its construction in 2014 was (and still is) the longest tunnel on Corridor 5c, and also the Ivan tunnel, whose construction is ongoing, but the Prenj tunnel is, without equal, something that will go down in history for many reasons. First of all, it should be said that after construction, the Prenj tunnel will be the ninth longest tunnel in Europe. That information speaks volumes about what kind of project it is.

Its construction should begin in the middle of next year, and the entire work should be completed in 70 months, that is, in five years and 10 months, which is somewhere near the end of 2028, if there are no unforeseen events.

The deadline for submitting offers for prequalification is September 5 of this year. The construction of the Prenj tunnel will be financed by international financial institutions, and there will also be some grants from the European Union and some money from JP Autocesta FBiH’s own sources. The construction of the tunnel will be financed with 110 million euros by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Investment Bank with 150 million euros. The total estimated value of the Prenj tunnel is around 400 million euros.