BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: BRIDGE OVER SAVA RIVER OPENED FOR TRAFFIC / GENERAL JANVIER ARRIVES IN MOSTAR

Record ID: 318812

  • Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: BRIDGE OVER SAVA RIVER OPENED FOR TRAFFIC / GENERAL JANVIER ARRIVES IN MOSTAR
  • Date: 31st December 1995
  • Summary: ORASJE AND MOSTAR, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (DECEMBER 31, 1995) (RTV W! -- ACCESS ALL) ORASJE 1. WIDE VIEW BRIDGE 0.05 2. SV UNITED STATES (U.S.) IMPLEMENTATION FORCE (IFOR) SOLDIERS WATCHING 0.08 3. SV U.S. TROOPS PULLING BRIDGE SECTIONS TOGETHER 0.13 4. LV SOLDIERS ON BRIDGE (2 SHOTS) 0.22 5. SV/LV U.S. IFOR M88 TRACKED RECOVERY VEHICLE CROSSING SAVA RIVER PONTOON BRIDGE / U.S. SOLDIERS ON BRIDGE (8 SHOTS) 1.15 6. LV U.S. MILITARY AMBULANCES AND TRUCKS CROSS BRIDGE (5 SHOTS) 1.36 MOSTAR 7. GV AIRPORT, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISTATION (NATO) IMPLEMENTATION FORCE (IFOR) SOLDIERS ON PARADE ON TARMAC, PLANE CARRYING FRENCH GENERAL BERNARD JANVIER CIRCLES OVERHEAD 1.46 8. LV JANVIER'S PLANE LANDING (2 SHOTS) 2.04 9. SV PLANE TAXIING ON TARMAC 2.09 10.LV/SV JANVIER INSPECTING GUARD OF HONOUR (6 SHOTS) 2.45 11.SV JANVIER SAYING HE IS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE LANDED AT MOSTAR TO SEE THE AIRPORT, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT BACK INTO OPERATION BY FRENCH UNITS IN THREE WEEKS (FRENCH) 3.03 12.LV JANVIER WALKING OFF 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 15th January 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ORASJE AND MOSTAR, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
  • City:
  • Country: Croatia
  • Reuters ID: LVA9XCOK5BYNOCDIJCBYDJM0S0F
  • Story Text: The first United States (U.S.) army vehicles rolled across a newly-built pontoon bridge linking Bosnia to Croatia on Sunday (December 31).

    The bridge, 600 metres (yards) of floating pontoons spanning the Sava river, opened for traffic less than two hours after it was completed.

    Jeep-style Humvees and M88 tracked recovery vehicles were the first to drive across to the Bosnian side, where they were greeted by a sign saying, "Welcome to Bosnia." Then followed an ambulance and two trucks carrying gravel to build an access track on the Bosnian side of the Sava.

    The bridge will allow much of the 20,000-strong U.S. contingent in the peace implementation force (IFOR) to drive into Bosnia after a series of weather-caused delays.

    It opened late after engineering troops fought floods, mud, snow and ice all week.

    The original plan was to build only a 373 metre (yards) bridge over the Sava. But on Thursday (December 28) the river burst its banks, flooding a U.S. military camp and creating a large lake next to it.

    This forced construction of a second, 225 metre (yards) bridge over the temporary lake.

    In southwest Bosnia, meanwhile, NATO troops re-opened the airport at Mostar.

    Deputy NATO commander in Bosnia General Bernard Janvier conducted the official re-opening ceremony at the airport, which had been closed since 1992.

    French and Spanish North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops had spent a month de-mining the area around the airport.

    The French defence ministry said 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) of the runway had to be repaired and a new navigation system and mobile control tower built before the airport could be re-opened.


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