Croatia celebrates joining of controversial Adriatic Sea bridge

The China-led project has angered Bosnian officials, who argue it violates the state’s access to open waters.

A major European Union-funded bridge built by a Chinese company has been connected over the Adriatic Sea, linking two swaths of the Croatian coastline that are divided by a small stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory. A midnight opening ceremony featuring folk dancers, singing and a huge fireworks display was held on Wednesday on the Peljesac Bridge after the final segment of its span was installed. The construction, at a cost of 420 million euros ($500m), is 85 percent financed by the EU and is a rare Chinese project in Europe that went through a regular bidding process.