Construction work and terminal equipment installation are in their final stages

Rijeka, May 7, 2025 – Minister of the sea, transport and infrastructure Oleg Butković visited the Rijeka Gateway container terminal at the Zagreb pier in Rijeka on Monday, May 6, 2025.
He was accompanied on a tour of the future terminal site by Boštjan Napast, president of the management board of ENNA Group, Tomislav Rosandić, management board member of Rijeka Gateway, and Denis Vukorepa, director of the Port of Rijeka authority.

“When we see what this part of Rijeka looks like today and how much has changed in just a few years, it’s truly fascinating,” the Minister said during the visit.
He also announced the acceleration of procedures related to the construction of the double-track railway from Karlovac to Škrljevo, which will follow the “design and build” model. This means that a single public procurement process will select a contractor responsible for both the design and construction, significantly shortening the timeline leading up to the start of construction.

“We expect co-financing from European funds, but we will also need approximately two billion euros of our own funding. The state and the economy are strong enough, and I believe that with favorable loan terms we will secure the financial structure for this project,” said Minister Butković, adding that every effort will be made to ensure the railway is built as soon as possible.

“There is also an initiative to introduce a special law that would speed up the entire process—from design and land ownership issues to various studies—but we will present more details once the concept is finalized,” Butković added. He emphasized that until the new railway is completed, all stakeholders along the Rijeka transport corridor—especially HŽ Infrastruktura—will need to operate at full capacity to ensure efficient and timely cargo transport from the Port of Rijeka.

Tomislav Rosandić, Member of the Management Board of Rijeka Gateway, highlighted during the terminal tour that construction work and equipment installation are in their final stages.

“All key equipment and infrastructure have been installed and are currently undergoing testing and handover procedures by the main suppliers. Our employees—currently numbering 130 out of the planned 300 for full operations—are also participating in the equipment testing. We expect to begin terminal operations in the second half of this year, once all use permits have been obtained and the necessary administrative procedures have been completed,” Rosandić stated. He emphasized that this is the most advanced terminal in this part of Europe, incorporating modern technologies for marine protection as well as noise and light pollution reduction.

Photo: mmpi.gov.hr