Peljesac Bridge: Full steam ahead for construction with record 725 workers on site

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

There are currently a record 725 workers on the Peljesac Bridge construction site, which means that the works on the bridge that will connect Croatia have moved up another gear.

According to the data which daily Vecernji list received from Croatian Roads, so far as many as 11 of the 12 pillars of the future bridge have completely emerged from the sea, on which 20 segments of steel load-bearing structure have already been placed in August, and the construction of pylons has begun on four pillars. The welding of the segments has also begun.

The bridge will connect the peninsula of Peljesac, and through it the southernmost part of Croatia including Dubrovnik, with the Croatian mainland.

The value of the construction of the Peljesac Bridge and access roads is estimated at HRK 2.08 billion. The bridge will stretch 2.4 km from the southern peninsula of Peljesac to the mainland spanning across the bay in the Adriatic shared by Croatia and Bosnia.

Welders from China 

As for the pillars, only the 12th pillar is still unfinished, on which the installation and lowering of the headboard have been performed so far. The works are most advanced on the central pillars. Thus, two base segments of the steel span structure of the bridge were placed at pillars 5, 6, and 7, and complete works on the construction of the first and second phases of the zero segment of the pylon were completed. 

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

On the S8, 53.35 meters high, two steel base segments of the span structure of the bridge and reinforcement were installed, the formwork was made and the installation of the concrete of the first phase of the zero segments of the pylon was completed.

The height of the pylon above the span structure of the bridge will be 40 meters. A temporary scaffolding for two steel base segments was installed on the S9 in August, the installation of which was scheduled for the beginning of September. 

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

On the S10, with the help of a floating crane with a maximum carrying capacity of 1000 tons, the geodetically positioned steel base segment BS101 was lifted from the transport barge, while the BS102 was installed at the beginning of September. 

The individual weight of the base segment is about 269 tons. Reinforcement was installed on S11, and the formwork and concreting of the sixth, seventh and eighth segments of the column were completed. S11 has a total height of 31.98 meters and consists of eight segments. The works were completed completely on S13, S2, S3, and S4. As far as the abutments are concerned, the first and second phases of the abutments were completed on U1, and on U14 the first phase and overhang of the abutments, the second phase of the abutment column and wings, and the bearing bench were performed.

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

In February this year, the first 29 segments of the steel span structure arrived at the bridge construction site from the plant in China. According to Croatian Roads, in August, 20 segments of the steel span structure of the bridge were placed on supporting scaffolding. They also point out that in the second half of August, highly specialised welders from China arrived at the construction site to work on consolidating the segments of the span assembly. 

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

Croatian Roads states that the welding of the two segments began on the Peljesac side of the bridge, which is supported by a scaffolding next to the abutment. Croatian Roads also says that a ship with 13 new segments of load-bearing steel structure is currently on its way to Croatia, which should arrive at the construction site in early October.

(Photo: Croatian Roads)

Of the 725 workers currently on the construction site, 153 are technical and support staff and the rest are workers, engineers, and sailors on ships. So far, there has been a maximum of about 500 workers on the construction site. 

Work is also in full swing on the access roads to the Peljesac Bridge, so on the Duboka – Sparagovici section, among other things, preparatory work has begun for the construction of the foundations of the Dumanja Jaruga bridge. The most demanding object on that route is the Debeli Brijeg tunnel, whose main pipe at the exit portal was excavated up to 700 meters, and the service pipe up to 535 meters. On the Ston bypass, among other things, in the Polakovica tunnel, the excavation of the main pipe of the tunnel continued, which now amounts to a little more than 50 meters.