A team of experts determined that the damage to the operational quay in the Port of Bar - on Pier V, at the end of July last year, occurred due to multiple repeated negative impacts of forces from the ship on the quay structure, caused by the specific method of mooring and the ship's operating regime while staying along that port quay.
This was told to "Vijesti" by the acting executive director of "Port of Bar", Ilija Pješčić, and added that the team that determined the cause of the collapse of part of Pier V consisted of experts in the maritime, transportation, marine engineering and construction professions, who prepared a report on the causes of damage to part of the operational quay (part of berth 54) at the Passenger Terminal in the Port of Bar, at the place where the ferry "Mia" was moored during the summer months of 2024 and July 2025.
To patch the holes, 300 thousand euros will be needed, and the works will be paid for from the funds of the "Port of Bar" for now.
Until then, berth 54 will not be in operation, and until now it has been used for mooring and operations of loading and unloading vehicles and passengers carried out by the ferries "Dalmacija", of the Croatian company "Jadrolinija", which operates the seasonal line Bar-Bari, and the large ferry "AS Mia" of the Italian company "Adria Ferries", which sails on the seasonal line Ancona - Bar - Durres.
As part of the preliminary market research, in accordance with the Public Procurement Law, the Port of Bar contacted two companies, Briv from Kotor and Aqua Mont Service from Belgrade. As Pješčić told Vijesti, based on this research and the results of internal analyses carried out by the relevant organizational units in the Port of Bar, the Public Procurement Plan for 2026 includes the design and implementation of works on the rehabilitation of this part of the coast.
"The estimated value of the works is 300.000 euros, and an open public procurement procedure is planned. Therefore, the designer/contractor will be selected through a tender procedure, prescribed by the Public Procurement Law. At the moment, the source of financing for the public procurement (design and execution of works) is the own funds of 'Luka Bar'," said Pješčić.
"Port of Bar" has yet to launch a tender procedure for the selection of a designer/contractor, and the specific parameters related to the implementation of the necessary activities, including the total deadline for the implementation of the rehabilitation, will be known only when the Public Procurement Agreement is concluded.
"At this moment, therefore, the operational berth where the damage is located is out of function, and will be until the necessary repair works are carried out and the procedure for approving its use is regulated as prescribed by the Law on Construction of Facilities," said the director of the "Port of Bar".
As for the neighboring berth (berth 53) at the Passenger Terminal in the Port of Bar, it is in use and the training ship "Jadran" is currently moored next to it.
When asked how the "Port of Bar" has so far regulated the part of the work that requires an operational and capable pier V, what complications this has caused in previous months and whether alternative solutions have been found for them, Pješčić replied that after the damage occurred on a part of the operational quay (part of berth 54), in coordination with all competent entities involved (Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Customs Administration, Maritime Safety and Port Management Administration, Harbour Master's Office, "Barska plovidba" and "Port of Bar"), an alternative variant of accepting the ferry "Mia" was defined and applied in practice - on a part of the operational quay at the ro-ro and general cargo terminal in the Port of Bar.
"It should be added that this alternative variant was more complex and significantly more demanding to implement. Since, unfortunately, for now, the potential for using the Passenger Terminal in the 'Port of Bar' is only related to the period July-August, it is clear that the intensity of the request for using the operational quay at the passenger terminal is not at a level that could be associated with a significant 'forgiveness of benefit' due to the current situation, which is characterized by the very limited functionality of this part of the operational quay," explained Pješčić.
However, according to him, it is clear that the basic prerequisite for positive developments in relation to the very low level of utilization of the Passenger Terminal is precisely the repair of damage to part of berth 54, so further action and the intensity of necessary activities at the "Port of Bar" will be guided by this very fact.
In this part of the Bar port, intended for the reception of ferries and ro-ro ships, there are two holes, 15 meters long and up to three meters deep, with visible depressions and cracks in the concrete cover.
After this incident last year, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs told "Vijesti" that during the inspection, it was determined that two collapse zones were observed on the operational shore of Pier V in the form of holes, about 15 meters in diameter, with visible depressions and cracks in the concrete cover.
"The depth of the holes is 2-3 meters with an uneven bottom surface and possible signs of material washing out. The edges of the holes are unstable with visible cracks spreading towards the operational zone. In the immediate vicinity of the holes there are infrastructure elements, electrical lines and water installations, the stability of which may be at risk. The holes are filled with water to a certain level and there is a possibility of material collapse, especially during rainfall and tidal waves," the ministry said.
Terminal from the 50s
After part of Pier V broke on July 30, 2025, the Port of Bar announced that the operational quay at the passenger terminal was built in the 1950s as a gravity quay.
"Following the repair of damage caused by the catastrophic earthquake of April 15, 1979, the Use Permit No. 06-557/2-82 for the operational quay at the passenger terminal was issued on February 10, 1983 by the Committee for Urban Planning, Construction and Housing and Communal Affairs," they stated at the time.
Shortly after that, all ferry lines from the Montenegrin Port of Bar to Italy and Albania were suspended. The Croatian “Jadrolinija” and the Italian “Adria Ferries”, whose ferries operate on these lines, have cancelled all further trips on the routes with Italy - Bar-Bari and Bar-Ancona.
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