New step for Kvanj-Buna Tunnel section: Open access to main design

The Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning has published a public invitation for access to the main design for the construction of the motorway on Corridor Vc, on the Kvanj-Buna Tunnel section, which is one of the procedures in the process of issuing a construction permit.

The invitation refers to the part of the route from station 9+480 to 14+380, or approximately 4.9 kilometers of the motorway. This is the second phase of the construction project in the area of Mostar, Stolac and Capljina, while the investor is the Public Company Motorways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mostar.

The parties to the procedure can comment within eight days of the publication of the public invitation in daily newspapers.

The main design can be viewed at the premises of the Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning, at 2 Hamdije Cemerlica Street in Sarajevo, every working day from 10 AM to 2 PM, with prior notice.

Continuation of motorway towards Mostar

The Kvanj Tunnel-Buna section is approximately 5.1 kilometers long and represents the continuation of the construction of Corridor Vc towards Mostar. The project includes the motorway route, the Kvanj Tunnel, a bridge and an access road.

The support of the European Union has also been secured for this infrastructure project. In June 2025, the Council of Ministers of BiH approved the draft decision on the ratification of the agreement, which provides for 21,106,084 euros in grants.

The grant was secured through the European Investment Bank, within the European Western Balkans Joint Fund. The agreement was signed in Sarajevo on March 14, 2025, while its final verification was carried out three days later in Luxembourg.

The project is implemented by Motorways FBiH.

Completed highway waiting for first drivers for five years

The construction of the Kvanj-Buna Tunnel section is particularly important because of the neighboring section of Buna-Pocitelj, 7.2 kilometers long, which was completed five years ago, but has not yet been put into traffic.

Although it is completely built, this section does not have a full traffic function because it is not connected to the rest of the highway towards Mostar on the northern side.

From the south side, from the Pocitelj interchange, one can travel on the highway towards the Bijaca border crossing and further towards Croatia. The problem remains the connection to the north, that is, to Mostar.

The construction of the Kvanj-Buna Tunnel section will make an important step forward in connecting this part of Corridor Vc, but even its completion will not be enough for the Buna-Pocitelj section to gain full functionality.

Key link still missing

In order to establish an uninterrupted highway from Mostar to Pocitelj, Bijaca and Croatia, it is also necessary to build the section Mostar South-Kvanj Tunnel, which is approximately 9.2 kilometers long.

Its implementation was blocked for a long time due to the unresolved issue of military property. Until that problem is solved and construction begins, neither the completed Buna-Pocitelj section, nor the Kvanj-Buna Tunnel after the completion of the works, will be able to achieve the full traffic effect.

Only with the construction of the last link between Mostar and Buna will it be possible to drive uninterruptedly on the highway from Mostar to the south of the country and the border with Croatia.

Until then, the Buna-Pocitelj section will remain one of the biggest infrastructural paradoxes in Bosnia and Herzegovina - a modern part of the highway, completed five years ago, which is not yet passable by vehicles.

You can view the current INFOMAP of highway and expressway construction in BiH and the region at the link HERE.

S. S.

European Investment Bank

European Western Balkans Joint Fund

Kvanj Buna Tunnel section

Mostar South Kvanj Tunnel section

Buna Počitelj section

Corridor Vc

Corridor 5C

construction permit

main design

European Union grant

military property

motorway A1

Mostar

Stolac

Čapljina

Počitelj

Buna