People take selfies in front of the Peljesac Bridge in Komarna, Croatia, Aug. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

The  Croatians have identified three out of the 32 EU-funded projects  without which the country would be unimaginable and the Peljesac Bridge  is at the top of the list.

ZAGREB,  Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Croatia would be unimaginable without the Peljesac  Bridge built by a consortium of Chinese enterprises led by the China  Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Josip Skoric, general manager of the  state-run road operator Croatian Roads, told Xinhua in an interview on  Wednesday.

"We  recently received recognition from Croatian citizens, who voted the  Peljesac Bridge the best project in the past ten years. This was a  recognition of the importance of that project," Skoric said, adding that  the Peljesac Bridge was a "monument" that marked Croatia's entry into  the European Union (EU) ten years ago.

In  a recent survey conducted by the Central Agency for Financing and  Contracting of Programs and Projects of the European Union, one of the  bodies in charge of managing programs and projects financed from the EU  budget in Croatia, Croatians identified three out of the 32 EU-funded  projects without which the country would be unimaginable and the  Peljesac Bridge came top of the list.

Vehicles run on the Peljesac Bridge in Komarna, Croatia, July 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

According  to Skoric, the survey result has proved that people from all over  Croatia recognize the importance of the Peljesac Bridge, "an exceptional  construction and infrastructure project that has brought people  together, strengthened economic and cultural ties, and improved the  daily life of many local residents."

In  addition to tourism, the Peljesac Bridge has also boosted a lot of  other economic activities from transport to agriculture as so far some  3.5 million vehicles have passed through it since its opening on July 26  last year, Skoric said, adding that Croatian Roads has received  feedback from all over the country, especially from local people, about  how much the bridge has meant to them.

The  CRBC-led Chinese consortium constructed the 2.4-kilometer-long bridge  that connects Croatia's mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula on the  country's southern Adriatic coast. Since its inauguration, the bridge  has significantly cut travel time to the Adriatic coast, promoted  transport and increased economic opportunities for the region and has  been hailed by people from all walks of life in Croatia.

Fireworks  are seen during the inauguration ceremony of the Peljesac Bridge in  Komarna, Croatia, July 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

Describing  the CRBC as a "respectable" contractor, Skoric hailed the hard work,  professional spirit and technical innovation of the Chinese side in  building the bridge, as technically, it was "an extremely demanding"  project, and the COVID-19 pandemic just made the project even more  challenging.

"We  have never built a facility like this before," he said, adding that  despite all the unpredictable challenges, the CRBC managed to finish the  work on time and "we can say that we are very satisfied with the  deadline under the circumstances in which the work was performed."

The  Croatian Roads chief said he was confident that the CRBC will be able  to finish on time the construction of a 6.85-kilometer section of road  in Split in southern Croatia. The agreement was inked in September this  year by the two sides and with a time limit of three years.

A cruiser passes under the Peljesac Bridge near Komarna, Croatia, June 23, 2022. (Matko Begovic/PIXSELL via Xinhua)