Bridge over the Ibar put into use before completion of works

Just a few days after the Government of Kosovo organized a ceremonial opening of the bridge over the Ibar River connecting South and North Mitrovica, official documents show that the project had not been fully completed. Contrary to the messages conveyed to the public during the ceremony, the Ministry of Infrastructure has already published a new contract award notice directly related to the same project, Demokracia reports.

According to the notice published today by the Ministry of Infrastructure, the contract concerns additional works on the project “Construction of overpasses (bridges) for pedestrians and vehicles in Mitrovica.” The contract was awarded to the same economic operator, the company Eurokos Holding Sh.P.K., in the amount of €297,081.03.

The obtained documents show that these additional works were approved after the official opening of the bridges, raising serious doubts about how a project publicly presented as completed subsequently required additional budgetary funds. This further reinforces suspicions that the opening of the bridges had a pre-election character, taking place just ahead of the elections, Demokracija notes.

The additional works relate to construction elements that, according to design standards and usual public procurement practice, should have been envisaged already in the initial project. This further strengthens suspicions that shortcomings occurred during the design phase, which are now being corrected only after the project was presented as a completed government success, the article states.

The portal recalls that the design of one of the bridges was carried out by the company Infratek, linked to Halil Jahaja, publicly known as the “uncle of Self-Determination,” which further fuels suspicions about how the project was managed—from the design phase to on-site implementation.

Although the bridges were publicly declared completed and ceremonially opened as a realized project of the Government of Kosovo, the documentation shows a different picture. Just a few days after the ceremony, the Ministry of Infrastructure launched a new contract for additional works, confirming that the project was not fully completed at the time of the opening.

This discrepancy between official propaganda and administrative documentation raises serious questions about the way public projects are managed—marked by rushed openings, unfinished works, and additional costs.

The bridge that was opened is the second bridge over the Ibar built and opened this year. The first bridge was opened to traffic at the end of August.

The construction of the two bridges sparked discontent among the Serbian population, prompting the Serb List to launch a petition against the construction. Reactions also followed from the international community, as the decision was made without consultations with the Serbian community. Experts warned that the new bridges could negatively affect the river’s flow and even increase the risk of flooding.

Nevertheless, construction continued, and today North and South Mitrovica are connected by yet another pedestrian bridge.