Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković visited Crikvenica on July 19, 2024, to participate in the opening ceremony of the renovated and expanded Podvorska port.

The reconstruction of Podvorska port, which is open to public traffic and falls under the jurisdiction of the County Port Authority of Crikvenica, was realized with a budget of around 1.6 million euros. Most of the funding was secured through the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, while the rest of the funds were provided by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the County Port Authority itself.

Progress in port infrastructure
During the opening of the port, Minister Butković emphasized the significant cooperation with the County Port Authority of Crikvenica and highlighted the major strides in the construction of port infrastructure in recent years. He added that investments are being made in port infrastructure along the Adriatic as part of a large investment cycle, worth around 400 million euros, thanks to European funds. He stressed the importance of such projects for coastal and island communities.

Project description
As part of the project, the existing pier was reconstructed and a new one was built, an anchoring system was installed, and the coastal wall of the port was maintained. The reconstruction and construction of the additional pier enabled docking for an additional 60 vessels, increasing user safety.

„This project demonstrates the good cooperation of the Port Authority, the Ministry, and the County,“ said the prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Zlatko Komadina. He added that the County co-financed the project with around 320 thousand euros.

Successful projects
The director of the County Port Authority of Crikvenica, Mario Kružić, noted that after the projects of expanding the ports of Crikvenica, Selce, and Perčin in Jadranovo, the reconstruction of Podvorska port is yet another successful project of the CPA Crikvenica. He thanked the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and emphasized that Podvorska is the largest port managed by the CPA, with a capacity of over 330 communal berths.

At the opening ceremony, in addition to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Butković, prefect Komadina and director Kružić, the Deputy Mayor of Crikvenica Ivona Matošić Gašparović, and representatives of contractors and designers were also present.