The Croatian Roads tender for the design of the bridge over the Kaštela Bay was completed on Monday, October 27, 2025, one month later than the originally planned deadline. as we wroteThe reason for the extension was the numerous questions from the designers about the complexity of the task, as well as the short deadline for creating a conceptual design for the bridge, which is part of the New Entrance to Split project. It should also be noted that the winner of the tender will sign a contract worth 500.000 euros with Croatian Roads for the creation of a conceptual design necessary for obtaining a location permit.
The jury, which will select the best bid submitted in the tender, consists of representatives of Hrvatske cesta, the City of Split, the City of Kaštela, the Split-Dalmatia County, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and experts from the fields of construction and architecture. The submitted works will be evaluated according to rationality, technical justification, aesthetic quality and compliance with the tender conditions. The president of the committee is architect Ante Kuzmanić, and among its members are well-known experts such as Veljko Prpić, Ante Runjić, Darko Ivanušić and Daša Gazda from the Split Architects' Association.
While we await the decision on the selection of the best bids, it should be added that prizes have also been announced in the competition, and the five best bids will be awarded cash prizes ranging from 12 to 60 euros.
As a reminder, the planned 1594-meter-long bridge will have four 3,5-meter-wide traffic lanes, a three-meter-wide median strip, and pedestrian and bicycle paths, making a total width of the roadway of 22 meters. The structure crosses the eastern part of the Kaštela Bay at depths ranging from 30 centimeters to 20 meters, with the highest point at 65,23 meters above sea level, allowing a free waterway 200 meters wide and 55 meters high.
The answers to the questions also revealed new technical requirements that were not previously publicly known, as we have already written.
The bridge must last 100 years in an aggressive marine environment
In the answers to the questions of the designers, Croatian Roads stated precisely for the first time that the bridge must withstand 100 years in an aggressive marine environment. This key technical requirement was not explicitly stated in the original tender documents.
It has also been newly discovered that the maximum permitted speed of navigation under the bridge must be limited to five knots (about 9 km/h), and that the structure must withstand the impact of a large ship up to 200 meters long and weighing up to 40.000 tons in the main waterway zone.
In addition, the construction must be in line with the proximity of Split-Kaštela Airport, and the lighting must comply with the Light Pollution Protection Act. The analysis showed that the bridge will not affect existing flight procedures even if the pylons are up to 200 meters high.
All communal installations, sewage, water supply, electrical installations and telecommunication lines must be hidden inside the bridge structure so as not to affect the view.
Responding to questions, Croatian Roads precisely explained that they allow designers minor adjustments, allowing minor changes to the bridge's vertical alignment to optimize the structure and adjusting the width of the median strip according to needs, for example to accommodate pylons.
It is particularly interesting that pedestrian and bicycle paths can be located along the roadways, but also outside the level intended for motor traffic, for example under the roadways.
European strategic importance of the project
Let us remind you that the New Entrance to Split project was included in the list of strategic projects of the Republic of Croatia in 2019 because it connects the TEN-T network via the ferry port with the Adriatic-Ionian Corridor, as we have already mentioned. wrote.
The project is being implemented in phases - the first phase is currently underway with the Kozjak tunnel and the connecting road to the DC8 state road, worth more than 120 million euros, while the bridge is part of the second phase.
Photo: Canava
