Three PMs cut the ribbon - construction of Bar-Boljare highway commenced

(Mirko Cvetković, Jadranka Kosor, Milo Đukanović)

Prime ministers of Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia, Milo Đukanović, Mirko Cvetković and Jadranka Kosor, respectively, signified the beginning of construction of Bar-Boljare highway yesterday (October 15, 2009) by cutting the ribbon in Gornje Mrke near Podgorica.

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković called this project "Bar-Boljare-Belgrade higway", pointing out that Serbia was interested in continuing construction of that road.

- This road connects not only two countries, but also all other countries in the region - said Cvetković.

He added that Serbia would invest between 2 and 3 billion EUR in infrastructure within the next two or three years, in both construction of road Corridor 10 and other infrastructure.

Jadranka Kosor pointed out that that was the new beginning of cooperation in the region on the way to Euro-Atlantic structures of "peace and progress". She promised Montenegro "full support of Croatia on that way".

Milo Đukanović said that it was good that "all together understand that it would be the best for all to recommend us to our European and Euro-Atlantic partners by showing them sufficient co-responsibility for co-living on this joint regional territory".

The highway between Bar and Boljare, 169.2 km long, will cost 1.94 billion EUR, and nearly one third of that money will be spent on the section from Smokovac to Mateševo. Construction of 43.5 km of highway between Smokovac and Mateševo, which is also the largest section of the road, will cost 640.8m EUR. People from Croatian "Konstruktor" announce that this section should be finished prior to year 2016, while the whole highway will be built prior to 2027.

Construction of 42 tunnels and 92 bridges and viaducts on the route is in the pipeline.

From Belgrade to Bar in four hours

Construction of the highway from Bar to Boljare, in the north of Montenegro, between Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja, will cut the travel time in half. For example, it will take a driver four hours to come from Belgrade to Bar.

Total of 7,000 workers will be engaged in construction and, according to estimates, 5m cubic meters of concrete and 2.5m tons of cement will be built in the highway.