Bridge over the Iber River opens for circulation within a month

Local authorities say work is still under way until the bridge is ready for moving vehicles.

South Mitrovica Mayor Agim Bahtiri told Radio Free Europe that there is currently no other obstacle to operating this bridge, in addition to jobs that are expected to end soon in the northern part of the city.
He said that at the beginning of June, the two mayors, together with a representative of the European Union, who is a sponsor of the project, would officially make the opening of the bridge.

I think things are going well and will work this month. In the next month, the opening of the” bridge will take place, Bahtiri said.

He has dismissed claims that works on the bridge are being delayed due to Serbia's influence and political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

In the Government of Kosovo, they say there is a great will and willingness that as soon as the bridge over the Iber River is functional.

For us as the Government of Kosovo, there is a real determination for this bridge to be functional as soon as possible, so that the free movement of citizens takes place and we expect from Brussels as guarantor of this agreement, to pressure Serbia to take place its”.

There may be other technical jobs that have not been completed, but the free movement of people not only inside an independent state territory, but the free movement of people in a global context is more than important, so such an obstacle should be avoided as soon as”, Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj told Radio Free Europe.

Kosovo's former chief negotiator in dialogue with Serbia, Edita Tahiri, thinks Serbia is the one who is delaying and blocking the functioning of the bridge in Mitrovica. According to her, conditions must be set for the refunction of the bridge.

“The opening of the bridge is blocked by Serbia, as is energy, cadastres, diplomas and the extinction of parallel facilities in health and education. Serbia has blocked these, while Kosovo has begun drafting the Association statute. Now, Kosovo must ask the European Union for Serbia to give a timeframe when it will implement the energy agreement and other agreements. So, the Kosovo side, must be fully engaged”, Tahiri told Radio Free Europe.

On this issue, officials from the European Union Office in Kosovo have not given an answer on when the bridge over the Iber River can be completely released.

In the northern part of Mitrovica, according to local authorities, work is continuing under the construction of the new urban area on the bridge over the Iber River and surrounding spaces.

New works followed the collapse of the wall in this part, which was built illegally by local authorities in northern Mitrovica.

Its construction has prompted harsh reactions in Pristina.

The Assembly and the Kosovo government had given the northern municipality of Mitrovica a month to tear down the wall before legal steps were taken. Given the situation that had been created, this wall had collapsed, under an agreement reached between the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning within the Government of Kosovo and the chairman of the northern Mitrovica municipality, Goran Rakiq.

Now, the new construction makes up a 53m-long concrete construction, while the height will be from 40 to 70cm.