The Pocitelj Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a part of the Vc corridor motorway between Budapest and Ploce, will be opened to traffic on 4 September and local authorities are planning a ceremony to be attended by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic as part of his official visit to BiH.

This was announced on Friday by the leader of the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ BiH), Dragan Covic. The Federation entity's motorway operator said that in addition to Plenkovic, BiH Council of Ministers Chair Borjana Kristo and Federation Prime Minister Nermin Niksic will also speak at the ceremony.

The bridge is expected to be fully operational for users starting 5 September. Travellers from Mostar heading towards Croatia will be able to reach the Bijaca-Nova Sela border crossing via the motorway and continue their journey on Croatia's Dalmatina motorway.

The Pocitelj Bridge is 980 metres long and is supported by six pillars, each nearly 100 metres high, which span the Neretva River. The bridge connects to a previously constructed section of the motorway, approximately 11 kilometres long, through the western part of Herzegovina.

The motorway on the Pan-European corridor, which runs approximately 330 kilometres through BiH, has been under construction for over 20 years. Less than 130 kilometres have been completed, despite the financing being in place for some time. The primary issues have been the construction approach, with sections only a few kilometres long, and the lack of adequate on-site assessment and geological analysis, which has significantly increased construction costs and led to delays.

The Pocitelj Bridge, valued at €30 million, was originally scheduled to be completed by October 2022. The construction was awarded to two Chinese companies and the Azerbaijani Azvirt Limited Liability Company. The span was finally connected in July 2023, but in August, a crack appeared at one of the joints. During repairs, a generator exploded on the bridge, causing further damage.

Last April, the Federation entity's motorway operator announced that the bridge would finally be opened by 1 May, but the date was pushed to the “start of the tourist season” and later to the “end of summer.”