We are extremely proud of the outstanding achievements of our professors. One of such experts is professor Ph.D. Dario Silić, chief executive officer of Bina-Istra, who led one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Croatia.
Under the leadership of Professor Silić, Bina-Istra, which is part of the French group Bouygues Construction, successfully completed the opening of the second tube of the Učka Tunnel – a monumental achievement that is the second largest infrastructural achievement in Croatia, right behind the Pelješko Bridge. The Učka tunnel, now the third longest tunnel in the country, is a key link between Istria and the rest of Croatia.
Below is the statement of Ph.D. Daria Silić.
“We opened the second tube of the 5.6 km Učka Tunnel, a historic day for Bina Istra, for the users of our highway and for Croatia.”
“The new Učka tunnel, built by the French group Bouygues TP, has 24 transverse tunnels, every 250 m, of which 12 are for pedestrians and 12 for vehicles, which makes a total of 6.5 km of tunnels and makes it, together with connecting tunnels, the longest underground excavation in Croatia.”
“This tunnel represents not only a technical achievement, but a symbol of safety. They used a thousand tons of explosives, and modern techniques that were applied for the first time in Croatia, such as conveyor belts for transporting materials and liquid explosives.”
“In total, 1.3 million tons of material were excavated, which is ¼ of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and over 6,000 tons of steel were installed, which is roughly the amount of steel in the Eiffel Tour. By investing approximately 200 million euros, we ensured the completion of this project through innovative club deal project financing.”
“I would especially like to point out the challenges we faced – from difficult geology, a large number of pits and cracks, but also global crises such as inflation and pandemics, as well as labor shortages. One of the biggest challenges of this project was to carry out the work on time, with the existing pipe under traffic, so without stopping traffic.”
“This tunnel, on which around 500 workers were engaged, represents victory over obstacles, and is proof that when we work together, we can achieve incredible things.”