"Of the three bids received for the public procurement, the bid by China Road and Bridge Corporation, CCCC Highway Consultants, CCCC Second Highway Engineering and CCCC Second Harbour Engineering, was selected with a price of 277 million euro (without VAT) or a final price of 346 million euro with VAT and a completion date of 36 months," as the most favourable bid, a press release by Hrvatske Ceste says.

China Road and Bridge Corporation is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

Three bids were received for the first phase of the Peljesac bridge - the Chinese consortium, a bid by the Italain Astaldi and Turkish IC Ictas and one by Strabag from Germany.

Astaldi and IC Ictas submitted a bid of 340 million euro (without VAT) or 425 million euro including VAT and Strabag's bid amounted to 349 million without or 437 million euro with VAT.

The Peljesca bridge has been proclaimed as a project of strategic significance for the country with a total value for the entire project of 526 million euro with VAT, with an acceptable cost of 420 million euro, 85% of which will be financed by the European Union, that is, in the amount of 357 million euro.

The construction of the 2.4 kilometre long and 55 metre high bridge should be completed within 36 months of the start of construction and will consist of four traffic lanes.

The Road Connectivity of South Dalmatia project envisages the construction of the bridge across the Adriatic off Neum and will connect Dubrovnik-Neretva County with the rest of the country and facilitate better traffic flow of commodities and passengers throughout the year and particularly during the tourism season.

The EU is financing support infrastructure including access roads, tunnels, bridges and viaducts as well as an 8 kilometre ring road around Ston. The entire project should be completed by 2022.