![](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/07/26/15/SEI116502626.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp)
Croatia has opened a long-awaited bridge connecting two parts of the country separated by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 12-mile stretch of coastline.
The one-and-a-half mile bridge spans the Adriatic Sea to link Croatia’s mainland to the Peljesac peninsula in the south, allowing easier access to the country’s most important tourism destination – the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik
Croats rushed early on Tuesday to be among the first to cross the Peljesac bridge on foot as it admitted pedestrians ahead of the formal opening ceremony planned in the evening. It was to open to road traffic after the ceremony.