The first motorway section to be completed along Corridor Vc in the Republika Srpska (RS), running from Johovac to Rudanka, was opened at a ceremony attended by the Serb Member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Presidency, Milorad Dodik, the RS President Željka Cvijanović and representatives of the RS government, RS Autoputevi, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the EU Office in Bosna and Herzegovina.

The 6.1 km section was completed thanks to an EU grant of €15 million, which facilitated further financing in the form of favourable loans worth almost €70 million from the EBRD. The Johovac to Rudanka section ensures a direct connection to the Banja Luka – Doboj motorway and the existing M17 main road in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It complements the Vukosavlje – Johovac and Rudanka – Putnikovo Brdo sections, being built by RS Autoputevi. Passenger and freight travel speed along the section will increase from 60 km/h to 100 and 120 km/h.

As well as faster and safer journeys, EU-supported motorway projects along Corridor Vc deliver economic benefits by supporting connectivity in the Western Balkans as well as between the Western Balkans and the EU Single Market, which is the world’s largest economic area. Governments and taxpayers continue to benefit from the highly favourable financial conditions offered for these EU-supported infrastructure projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.