Croatia intends to inaugurate the Peljesac Bridge, the most expensive infrastructure project co-financed by EU funds, between the 19th and the 21st of July, a source from the European Commission told Hina on Friday.

The opening should be attended by both the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commissioner for Cohesion Policy Elisa Ferreira.

"Since this is the largest project from EU funds, they should then attend the opening ceremony," the source said, adding that the ceremony would take place on July 19th, 20th or 21st. The opening is planned in the midst of the tourist season, when thousands of tourists could travel to Dubrovnik.

Visiting the construction site of the Peljesac Bridge, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in January this year that Croatia's land territory should be connected by the beginning of this year's tourist season. A part of the bypass over Pelješac is planned to be opened to traffic by the summer, and only the opening of the Ston junction is postponed for the autumn of this year.

Planned to be opened to traffic by the summer - Photo Croatian Roads 

The Minister of Transport, Oleg Butković, also announced the opening of the bridge to traffic by the beginning of the tourist season.

The bridge on the Peljesac peninsula, which connects the southern part of Croatia with a bypass of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the most expensive infrastructure project since 1986 when the European Commission began co-financing projects.

The bridge cost 418 million euros, in which the EU participated with 85 percent of the money and Croatia with 15 percent.

Until then, one of the most expensive projects was the construction of a subway in the Portuguese city of Porto, for which 316 million euros were allocated from EU funds.

The 8th Cohesion Forum is being held in Brussels on Friday, a meeting to discuss cohesion policy, which the European Commission is using to use its funds to reduce development inequalities between parts of the European Union.