EBRD must approve new look of Slavija

Slavija square, Belgrade (Photo: Suzana Obradović)

Tender for Belgrade’s Slavija square will be released in early August, the city is announcing although the project has had serious changes. Namely, they decided to reconstruction the Belgrade’s know without construction of underground passages and to redirect funds saved this way into Ruzveltova street. Still, the authorities, led by construction optimism, forgot that it will have to obtain approval of the investor for the changes, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

As the EBRD office in Belgrade says, the institution provides funds for some projects and if there are any changes, it is necessary that authorities in the ban k are informed on it to approve change of funds purpose.

A total of RSD 27 m during 2014 was planned for the reconstruction of the Slavija square while this road is a key in the budget for 2015 with almost eight million euros. For 2015 and 2016., works in Karadjordjeva street are planned in two stages, from Savski trg to Bristol i.e. from Bristol to Pistaniste. Ruzveltova street is not mentioned.

Although 70.000 to 80.000 pedestrians crosses the Slavija square daily, according to Dusan Milanovic, a traffic engineer, giving up underground passages will not negatively affect traffic flow.