Efforts to complete the main Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica are advancing despite escalating political tensions and high temperatures—both climatic and political. Kosovo authorities are pressing ahead with plans to reopen the bridge to traffic after 25 years of closure.
This week, the bridge was used by four heavily loaded trucks as part of an ongoing assessment to determine its load-bearing capacity. Additionally, Kosovo’s Infrastructure Minister, Gjelal Sveçla, personally inspected the bridge’s railings. Despite these developments, painting and resurfacing tasks continue unabated.
Workers are currently carrying out surface repairs on the upper part of the bridge’s structure, patching areas where the concrete has cracked or flaked away over time. Although language barriers made detailed communication challenging, one worker confirmed these activities on-site.
Earlier, the bridge’s southern pillars were painted, and similar work was done on the nearby „Braća Milić“ square on the northern side. This repainting included the removal of national symbols and graffiti, leading to an incident where Serbian Democracy leaders were arrested for attempting to prevent these actions.
The ongoing work on the bridge is being monitored by Carabinieri, with three vehicles stationed at the site. Soldiers are seen sheltering under tents from the sun, and at one point, a Carabinieri officer even provided water to a worker.
Kosovo officials have reiterated their commitment to reopening the bridge without delay, a message widely reported by the media. However, Western countries, led by KFOR, have expressed their opposition to any changes in the current status of the bridge. KFOR has warned that it will not hesitate to take measures against any developments that could impact security and regional stability, in full respect of its UN mandate.
France has strongly condemned the increasingly unilateral actions by Kosovo authorities in the north, which affect the daily lives of the Serbian community. France has called for restraint from Kosovo authorities regarding these actions.
An EU spokesperson echoed these concerns, noting that all Western partners are advising Kosovo authorities against engaging in a series of counterproductive, negative, unilateral, and uncoordinated steps. The possibility of increased sanctions against Kosovo, which have been in place since last year, has not been ruled out.
This week, Serbs protested and unanimously opposed the reopening of the main bridge. This sentiment also dominates the results of a one-day survey conducted on KoSSev’s Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Survey Reveals Overwhelming Opposition to Opening Main Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
