The widening of Makenzijeva street in Vracar to start in 2017 – Investment worth around 3.7 mil EUR

The widening of Makenzijeva street will begin next year, and the Slavija-Zicka (up to Grcica Milenka street) span will get four lanes till 2020, which requires 85 houses to be torn down in that area.

The works will be done in four phases. In the second phase, mostly craft shops will be torn down in the two blocks located between Borislava Pekica st. and Sokolska st, between Slavija and Gradic Pejton. For decades now, this area has been home to a watch repair shop, a dry cleaning service, a jewelry shop, a wax shop, a shoe shop, a hairdresser salon, a bookstore, a bakery and a pastry shop. Still, even more houses will be torn down during the final phase, in Zicka st. from Bregalnicka st. to Jovana Rajica st.

The total worth of the investments is estimated to around 3.7 mil EUR.

- The realization of the project for the first section between Slavija and Kataniceva st, 355 meters long, is planned for this year. We are planning to widen the road to 12 meters, which is sufficient for four lanes and sidewalks on both sides – said City Manager Goran Vesic.

The plan to widen this traffic lane dates from 2004, while the expropriation of objects began a year later. There remain, however, a few unsolved property-legal relations, which is why 83 expropriation demands have been placed for the parcels on which these 85 objects lie.

Shop owners in Makenzijeva st. are dissatisfied with the idea to widen the street at the expense of their business objects.

- We were given the expropriation decisions six or seven years ago, and then invited to interviews at the Agency to let us know that they intended to tear down the left side where the small shops are. It's sad that a part of Vracar's history should be destroyed and for a part of Cubura to disappear. These are small buildings which were once under state's protection – emphasized Dusan Nikodinovic, owner of one of the buildings, which he has inherited from his father.

Unlike him, Mira Mladenovic has nothing against the buildings being torn down, but only under condition of “a hefty compensation”.

- I require two flats and two shops, and not farther than where my husband was born. I can't move to the city's periphery. I arrived here 40 years ago and I've been listening to how everything will be torn down since then and nothing's happened – Mladenovic stated categorically.

Four phases in four years

The first phase of works is worth around 600,000 EUR, which is the cheapest section. The second one affects the section between Kataniceva st. and Maksima Gorkog st, the third one will reach up to Bojanska st. and the fourth one to Grcica Milenka st. In addition to widening the road, water pipes and sewage pipes, electrical and telecommunication infrastructure, lighting system and trolley network will be rebuilt.