Скачать или смотреть BOSNIA: US ENGINEERS COMPLETE PONTOON BRIDGE ACROSS RIVER SAVA

(31 Dec 1995) English/Nat

The U-S military's gateway to Bosnia is finally open.

The bridge across the Sava River, which forms the border between Croatia and Bosnia, was completed by U-S military engineers on Sunday after being delayed by bad weather.

Vehicles from the U-S First Armored Division have now begun crossing from Zupanja in Croatia over to Bosnia.

U-S troops didn't mind the mud as they raised the sign to show that they had finally completed their task.

The building of the pontoon bridge across the Sava River was essential for the deployment of 20-thousand U-S troops into Bosnia.

And finally it was ready for military traffic.

UPSOUND:(English)
"I don't think it'll be any problem, we've done it before. They're safe, the bridge is fine."

The first vehicle to move across was a 58-ton tank recovery vehicle used to test the span.

The military vehicles began to creep across the bridge at maximum speeds of 8 kph (5 mph).

The bulk of the U-S I-FOR forces are expected to cross the bridge in 35 to 40 days.

But it had taken a lot of hard work to reach this stage.

The bridge-building had been delayed by flooding. Snow, rain and sub-zero temperatures made the task even more difficult.

But on Sunday morning military engineers finally won their battle against Mother Nature.

With the aid of powerboats, they finally swung two halves together and inserted a final section of the 585 metre (one-thousand-920 foot) aluminum bridge in mid-river.

With the main route into Bosnia now open, American military convoys are now heading into Bosnia.

The U-S troops make up a third of the 60-thousand-strong NATO force arriving to police the accord to end 3 1/2 years of war in the former Yugoslavia.

For many of these U-S soldiers their first night in Bosnia will be New Year's eve.

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