We theoretically investigate collision of optical beams traveling in opposite directions through a centrosymmetric photorefractive crystal biased by a spatially periodic voltage. We analytically predict the fusion of counterpropagating solitons in conditions in which the applied voltage is rapidly modulated along the propagation axis, so that self-bending is suppressed by the "restoring symmetry" mechanism. Moreover, when the applied voltage is slowly modulated, we predict that the modified self-bending allows conditions in which the two beams fuse together, forming a curved light-channel splice. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America