SLOVENIA: TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGH CEREMONY (17 NOVEMBER)
A ceremony was held today in Gruškovje (on the Croatian-Slovenian border) to mark the final breakthrough of the left tube of Log tunnel. The tunnel is part of the Section IIa of the 5.77 kilometres long Draženci-Gruškovje motorway, which is being built by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian company Euro-Asfalt. The ceremony was attended by senior officials, representatives of municipal authorities, and the investor, Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia (DARS).
The construction agreement for this section was signed in April. The project envisions the construction of carriageways, an area designated for the Gruškovje border crossing, Zakl slip road, area designated for installation of silos, the aligning of local and regional roads, building of sound barriers and landscaping work. It also includes the construction of a twin-tube tunnel, three flyovers, one underpass, eight bridges, 14 culverts and 19 retaining walls.
It is part of the Slovenian tradition for such buildings to have a godparent. In keeping with this tradition, the godmother of Log is Darinka Kodrič, manager of a nearby farm and tourist hotspot in Žetale Municipality. Kodrič presented the Project Manager Zdenko Bojić with a statuette of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners.
In his address, Bojić expressed hope that the project’s pace will be maintained, and that there will be no major setbacks. Most importantly, he added, the construction should continue without any accidents or injuries. Euro-Asfalt CEO Hamed Ramić underlined the significance of this tunnel, not only in terms of its length and complexity, but also because this is the first tunnel (the total length of both tubes, including portals, is 250 meters) his company is building in the European Union.
“Today we are celebrating the breakthrough of one tunnel tube. The other one will follow suit within a week. This project is not overly challenging to our company, as we have been involved in more complex projects. But it means a great deal to us in the sense of meeting the deadlines and the high standards required in this market,” Ramić said. Member of DARS Management, Vili Žavrlan, express his satisfaction with the progress made so far, adding expectations that the entire section will be opened by the end of 2018 as planned.
Source: http://www.oslobodjenje.ba/ekonomija/biznis/zavrseno-probijanje-prvog-euro-asfaltovog-tunela-u-eu/185918
