Citizens of North Mitrovica: These are bridges of division, their purpose is only provocation

The announcement of the construction of two new bridges over the Ibar River has been met with disapproval from the vast majority of North Mitrovica residents, who say that the bridges will not promote connection, but rather further divide communities. They believe the new crossings serve no purpose and warn that they could be perceived as a provocation rather than a gesture of integration.

Residents of this city on the Ibar told Kosovo Online in a survey that the bridges do not serve to connect people.

"We don’t need one bridge, let alone two. Even this one we already have is too much, because the new bridges being built are bridges of separation, not connection between people. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Nothing can bring us together in life anymore. Everything is gone with the wind. Back when we used to live together, they all knew how to speak Serbian, which meant a lot for communication. Now they don’t, and we can’t communicate," one woman said.

A fellow resident expressed a similar view but added that he doesn’t think anything significant will change, noting that there’s already one pedestrian bridge.

"And those two other side bridges that are opening, they probably won’t be for cars, but for pedestrians too. So I don’t see any real change. I’m not afraid, because even now this bridge is open. Nothing will change. We’ll see how the situation develops. It would look bad to have two more side bridges next to the main one. I don’t see the purpose of those two bridges, unless it’s meant as some kind of provocation," he said.

One local of Albanian ethnicity briefly commented that North and South Mitrovica are one city.

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, laid the foundation stone yesterday for the two new bridges on the Ibar, stating that they are meant to serve all citizens and that the authorities in Pristina have not abandoned plans to open the main bridge on the Ibar as well.

On this occasion, German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, also spoke out, stating that he supports the European Union’s position calling on the Kosovo authorities to refrain from building the two new bridges over the Ibar.

According to the contract award notice published by the Ministry of Infrastructure on the official public procurement website, the cost of the project is nearly three million euros. The contract was awarded through a negotiated procedure without the publication of a contract notice, with negotiations held with five companies.