RIJEKA GATEWAY PROJECT Situated at the crossroads of the main trade routes, by land and sea, Rijeka has a perfect position and has always been the lever of living and growth in the whole region. Development of the port has been Rijeka’s determining factor to achieve the quality of living which also affect to the aesthetic arrangements of entire city area.

In order to achieve proclaimed traffic policy, eminent expert groups have been elaborating numerous studies on development posibilities of the Port of Rijeka in the previous years from the very beginning of the Port of Rijeka Authority operation. They were also used for creating ten-year development plan and preceding two-year development plans for Port of Rijeka.

The urgency for development plans was imposed by necessity to stop traffic decrease within the Port of Rijeka in the 1990s, and to create conditions for more efficient port activity. Finally, a proposed study on modernization of the Port of Rijeka prepared by the consultants from Rotterdam Maritime Group, The Netherlands, was accepted by the Port of Rijeka Authority, which became the Master plan of the port of Rijeka development. In order to implement concepts of the Master plan, Port of Rijeka Authority sought the support of world financial institutions. With the Croatian Government as guarantor, the World Bank entered into the Rijeka Port modernization project, named Rijeka Gateway Project (RGP), with the loan which ensures future competitiveness of the port of Rijeka.

The Rijeka Gateway Project is therefore the most important project for the Port of Rijeka, city and the whole region. The Project foresees modernization, overhauling and restructuring of the Port of Rijeka, gradually changing at same time, the look of the city and nearby coastline, since the project aims to transform Port into one of the most important Croatian as well as Central and Eastern European port.

BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The main objectives of the project is to increase competitiveness of Croatian economy by improving international cargo and passenger traffic in Rijeka, to modernise traffic connections between the port and road network and to revitalise and privatise port's business operations.

Total investments in modernization of the port of Rijeka is 190 millions of Euros (250 millions USD) which includes 160 millions of Euro from World Bank loan and 30 millions of Euros from Government subsidies. Investments involve numerous components which will increase the level of service of the entire port area. Among the others construction of additional 300 metres of pier at existing Brajdica Container Terminal and construction of new Zagreb Pier Container Terminal with 680 metres of pier and surrounding area may be highlighted. It is expected completion of the works on Brajdica Terminal by the end of 2012, after which, the capacity of the Terminal will be increased to 550.000 TEU per year. Meanwhile, Zagreb Pier Container Terminal is going to be constructed and put in operation till 2015, so by that time it is expected that total awailable capacity of container terminals in the Port of Rijeka will reach 1.000.000 TEU per year, which is four times more than today.

REVITALIZATION - PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASES Port of Rijeka Western part - Zagreb pier Construction of the new Container Terminal with total length of pier 680 m on the Western part of port has been anticipated. Construction of first phase of 400 m of the new Zagreb pier is covered by the Rijeka Gateway Project (design & build approach). Construction of second phase of Zagreb pier, next 280m, is planed to be financed based on BOT model or any other applicable PPP model.

Even the last generation of container ships could be moored at newly constructed Terminal due to the 20 m of sea depth in front of the pier.

Construction of the new 1,9 km long connecting road D – 403 to highway towards Zagreb, Ljubljana, Budapest and Kiev simultaneously with the progress of construction of the pier is very important for efficient operation of the Terminal.

Brajdica container terminal With a traffic which has been increased from 10.000 TEU in year 2000, the existing Brajdica Container Terminal reached its almost maximum capacity of 170.000 TEU being handled in 2008. To ensure the further growth of container traffic it was decided to extend existing Terminal by building of additional 330 m of pier as well as reclamation of appertaining stacking area. In addition, existing 11,5 m of sea depth is going to be improved to 14,5 m at new berthing place.

The part of the RGP is the construction of the new 4,4 km long connecting road D-404 as well, which will directly connect Brajdica Container Terminal, future Delta urban area and new marina at Porto Baross to Rijeka bypass road and further to highway towards Zagreb, Ljubljan, Budapesta and Kiev.

The Delta area and Porto Barossa – new Port City Interface The objectives of this component of RGP are creation of new public spaces. So far non-functional warehouses at the area of Porto Baross have been removed and demolition of other obsolete facilities will be continuing at Delta area through the next period. Famous Danish architects from the COWI/Gehl Architects formulated guidelineses for urbanistic development of 15 ha at Delta area and Porto Baross. Architects with the world references offered potential solutions for creating the original identity of the City of Rijeka. There is a huge interest for urban designing of Delta area and Porto Barros among world investors – developers who will be invited to international tender.

Component Port City Interface (PCI) - implies the rellocation of the port activities from the Delta area and Porto Baros which will turn to an urban area open to public. The Port of Rijeka Authority, Luka Rijeka j.s.c. and the City of Rijeka are partners during realisation of this Rijeka Gateway Project component. The mutual interest of the undersigning parties has been the reconstruction of Rijeka Port and adjustment to development necessities of this traffic direction from one side, and to inhabitants’ necessities, as urban centre users, from the other side. By this Agreement the obligations of mutual co-operation, assistance and support within all activities in connection with project realisation has been established. This component of the RGP foresees the reconstruction of 15 ha of the land being occupied by port operation till now.

The project includes the following constructions:

• modern passenger terminal building within the existing passenger pier on the part of Rijeka breakwater

• nautical center • various commercial and entertainment contents (shops, restaurants,

offices, appartments, turistic facilities, hotels…) • the road which will connect the port with the Rijeka highway

The PCI or so called “waterfront” project is very important for the city of Rijeka since it will open the central part of the port basin for commercial purposes, as well as for admittance of citizens and visitors to this part of the coastal area. It also means that the passenger terminal, the South part of Delta and Porto Baros will be changed in a sense of physical and urban planning with the whole day citizen’s access to those parts of the city which would become the new, attractive centres appropriate for the image of Mediterranean city.

New passenger terminal Port of Rijeka accommodates today approximately 200.000 passengers yearly, mostly passengers at coastal lines but in the next few years the traffic is expected to increase to 500.000 passengers per year, provided that world economic crisis would not affect significantly growth of passenger traffic. The investment exposed by RGP covers new passenger terminal building, construction of new berth, port control centre as well as a new bridge. The total length of two berths is 400 meters, the draught is 7,5 which allows calling of middle size passenger ships and cruising vessels with length till 180 meters and 2.000 passengers. The new passenger terminal situated in the centre of the city has all necessary facilities for passenger and cruising ships and it presents the center point of the new Rijeka waterfront as a modern and adequately equipped maritime passenger terminal with all needed contents – selling of passenger's tickets, tourists informative point intended to promote presentation, reservation of tourists capacities, passenger's and rent-a-car agencies, catering, sanitary and checkroom capacities.