Reconstruction of Kneza Milosa Street, construction of access roads to Prokop and footbridge across the Sava still uncertain in terms of finances – What else is there in city budget revision

For the construction of the missing station building at the new Belgrade Bus Station (BAS) in Block 42, recently, the agreement was finally awarded to the selected consortium, which should mean that the contractors will soon take possession of the site. However, if one looks at the distribution of the money for capital projects for this and next year, following the adoption of the revision of the city budget, it can be seen that no spending is planned for the works within the second phase at BAS in 2025. It is only for 2026 and 2027 that a total spending of around RSD 3.5 billion is planned.

As for the project of the construction of Patrijarha Pavla Boulevard, for which, recently, and for the third time at that, the selected consortium was awarded the contract for the execution of the works, things are slightly different. The distribution of the money within the budget for this year envisages setting aside RSD 400 million this year and then a more considerable sum in the next two - a total of around RSD 5.7 billion.

For the projects which did get off the ground, such as the establishment of an underpass between Umetnosti and Crvene Armije boulevards, this year, funds of around RSD 658 million are planned, but no additional funds are planned in the next two years.

Some other long-announced traffic projects, at least when it comes to any substantial spending, will have to wait some more. One of them is the traffic connection Borska Street - Lasta Interchange. For this connection, no money is planned for this and next year, but only for 2027, when the plan is to set aside RSD 2.25 billion. It’s the same with the missing traffic connections to the Prokop rail station from the direction of the Nis highway, a project which the state even included in the group of capital projects several years ago. For these works, the budget envisages slightly under RSD 1.5 billion, but only in 2027.

When it comes to public city areas, more specifically, central squares, they will not be in focus this year or the next two, because nothing is planned for those purposes this year, whereas for 2026 and 2027, a total of RSD 120 million is set aside. The reconstructions of some of the central city streets, such as Francuska Street and Kneza Milosa Street, announced for years, are also uncertain in terms of finances, because, neither this nor next year will there be money for it, whereas around RSD 1.47 billion is planned for it for 2027. A similar fate awaits the reconstruction of Dragoslava Srejovica Street, from Bogoslovija to Jovanke Radakovic Street, for which RSD 650 million is planned only for 2027.

This group also includes the reconstruction of Strahinjica Bana and Palmoticeva streets, for which no funds are planned this year. For the next one, a million dinars is planned for each street, and it is only in 2027 that RSD 732 million is planned for the former and RSD 564 million for the latter.

The pedestrian-cycling bridge across the Sava, which has been on the agenda and in the announcements of the city officials for years, will also have to wait, because funds for it are also planned only for 2027, namely, around RSD 2.6 billion.

On the other hand, there will be more spending for the equipping of the Makisko Polje location, where the depot and the starting point of the first subway line are planned, because, this and next year, funds of slightly under RSD 1 billion are planned. Regarding the subway project, in the next three years, substantial spending, in the amount of around RDS 2.4 billion in total, is planned for the management of the project and supervision over the construction of the subway system in the location of the depot in Makis and the first line. On the other end, around RSD 2.7 billion for this and the next two years is planned for the designing of the third subway line.

When it comes to other public transport infrastructure projects, the budget says that there will be no substantial spending for investments in the tram and trolley networks. For this year, the plan is to set aside only RSD 12,000 for the reconstruction of the Pristaniste tram turn, and for next year, not even as much will be set aside. It is only in 2027 that there is a plan to spend more for that purpose, namely, around RSD 252 million. For the expansion of the tram and trolley network, again, it is only in two years that substantial spending is planned, namely, around RSD 1.1 billion. On the other hand, for the insufficiently clear item in the budget part about the capital projects called “the development of smart transport management”, funds of as much as RSD 1.4 billion are planned this year.

When it comes to the projects of the construction of the gondola and the flag mast, which have been controversial in the public for years, they remain strong items within the city budget. RSD 420 million is planned for the gondola for 2027, and for the flag mast, RSD 1 million is planned for this year and RSD 311 million for 2027.

D. Aleksic

BAS Beogradska autobuska stanica a.d. Beograd

Belgrade Bus Station

BAS

Patrijarha Pavla Boulevard

Prokop

pedestrian cycling bridge on the Sava

Umetnosti Boulevard Crvene armije Boulevard underpass

reconstruction of Kneza Miloša Stree

Belgrade city budget revision

capital projects

Belgrade subway