During his hearing in front of the relevant parliamentary committee, the candidate for infrastructure minister, Peter Gašperšič, cast doubt whether building the last 13 km section of the A1 highway, from Draženci to the Gruškovje border crossing with Croatia, should be considered a priority. Locals have been waiting for the construction of the highway for 20 years now. "Even if we finish the highway there will still be delays every summer until Croatia enters the Schengen area," is what Gašperšič said.

During his hearing he also asked whether it was really sensible to invest in the project and consider it a priority "just to rescue German tourists for the few weekends when they head towards Croatia." Mr. Gašperšič finds it more reasonable to invest on other highway sections, as for example the western Ljubljana ring and connecting it to Brezovica.

Will not allow further delays for the construction of the highway section
The Mayor of Podlehnik, Marko Maučič, told Radio Slovenija that the opinions of the minister candidate were insulting for the people of Haloze: "There have been so many accident deaths here and so any further delay for the construction of the highway section is unacceptable. And we will not allow that to happen."

At the end of May Slovenia's Motorway Company Dars confirmed that construction work on the highway section from Draženci to the Gruškovje border crossing would begin at the end of the year. The plan is to have it complete by the year 2018. The whole investment is estimated at a good 230 million euros. According to Radio Slovenija reporter, Dejan Rat, all the land in the first flat section has already been bought.

Dars: Any changes would require amendments
Dars explained to the STA news agency that "the company carries out all its activities in accordance with a yearly business plan, which is the basis for the functioning of any responsible company". This year's business plan was already confirmed by the Ministry of Infrastructre and Spatial Planning. "With regards to the fact that our yearly activities are based on our business plan, any project changes would have to mean amending the whole business plan," Dars explained.

Mayor Maučič further emphasized that… "I doubt that he can afford to return the European funds that have already been gained for the project documentation. I doubt that Mr. Gašperšič will stop the whole project and jeopardize the construction. More European funds for the building of the highway are close within reach. At the moment we have no other similar project with a valid building permit."

"It is unacceptable for them to fool around with us like that"
Local citizens residing along the current regional road are also outraged by Mr. Gašperšič's statements, as they have to put up with endless traffic delays every summer. "They can't just erase the whole project and keep postponing it forever. I think it is totally unacceptable for them to keep fooling around with us like that," said one of the residents for Radio Slovenija.

The locals say they will fight with all means necessary if the government decides to stop the project. They will even go to Brussels if they have to.