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Doboj III bridge opened
by Maj. Angel Brufau First published in SFOR Informer #49, November 25, 1998 Doboj - On November 21, the new SFOR Doboj III bridge was opened to the traffic on route New Jersey, in the Northern town of Doboj, in the Multinational Division North Area of Responsibility.. With its three piers and four separate spans, this 51-bay Mabey & Johnson C200 with one lane 42 meters wide is called Doboj III because it is the third military equipment bridge in the town of Doboj. Its total length is 157 meters, making it the longest free-standing military bridge in Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Up until now, SFOR heavy traffic crossed the Bosna up stream by using a SFOR pontoon bridge, installed Feb. 15, 1998. The Doboj III military bridge construction project consisted of several sub-projects. The building of the bridge required the construction of abutments on either side of the river, the construction of three piers, and the construction of the Mabey and Johnson. In addition, a 150-meter turning lane was added to the east side and the road under an adjacent railway overpass was lowered by 0.7 meters, to provide a total height clearance of 4.5 meters. "It was really a multinational job. From the project management, to the construction of the access lanes, soldiers from 10 different SFOR nations participated in the construction of the bridge. Contractors from Republika Srpska and Federation also participated in the construction," pointed out Spanish Col. Joaquin Aguirre, Engineer Branch DCO. General Montgomery C. Meigs, COMSFOR accompanied by Republika Srpska Deputy Prime Minister and SFOR Chief Engineer Canadian Col. John Lesperance, cut a ribbon and unveiled a commemorative plaque that represents the countries involved in the bridge building project. "I am very proud of the work SFOR soldiers are doing in all of Bosnia
and Hercegovina. This bridge, the largest one, is another example of what
SFOR is doing for this country," said Meigs. Republika Srpska Deputy Prime Minister thanked SFOR troops for their work: "I want to thank you for the effort you put forth regarding the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and for the finance and maintenance of the highroads in all Republika Srpska. This good communication between RS and SFOR means improvements in RS and in BiH in general. I am very satisfied with the construction of this bridge, because it will improve the economy of Doboj." The opening ceremony concluded with a beer barrel rolling over the bridge by the Hungarian Engineer Contingent and armoured vehicles form the Danish Battalion crossing the bridge which signified the official bridge opening.
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