Section of Milos Veliki highway from Pakovrace to Pozega, 19.56 km long, opened – No road toll collection until July 15

The new section of the Milos Veliki highway from Pakovrace to Pozega, 19.56 km long, with two of the longest road tunnels in Serbia - Laz and Munjino brdo, has been officially opened. The section will be open to traffic from Sunday at 12 PM, RTS reports.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the new section was “completely safe to use” and announced that the section of the highway would be free of charge until July 15.

He added that two branches of the highway would be built from Pozega, one via Arilje and Ivanjica towards Duga Poljana, and the other via Uzici, Gorjani, Zlakusa, to Mackat and Zlatibor.

– And from Bela Zemlja, there still remains to build to Kotorman, to Visegrad. And starting Monday, we will start negotiations with our partners for these important sections of the highway – said Vucic.

General Manager of the Chinese company CRBC Wang Lijun said at the opening of the highway section that the companies CRBC and CCCC wanted to work side by side with Serbia and that the great distance did not diminish the iron friendship between China and Serbia.

– During the construction, we invested great efforts to ensure the best quality of this project. We deployed great resources and experts to resolve technical issues on site, and with joint efforts we managed to complete this project. By opening this section to traffic, a solid foundation has been laid for the construction of the E-763 highway, which would finally solve the bottleneck in the connection between Central and Eastern Europe to the Adriatic Sea and strengthen Serbia’s position as one of the most important transport hubs in Southeast Europe – added Lijun.

Let us remind that, as Insajder wrote, the opening of the highway from Pakovrace to Pozega, despite the fact that one of the tunnels did not have an automatic system for monitoring safety parameters, was made possible by the new Regulation adopted by the Serbian Government at its session the day before last Saturday.

The Regulation has practically suspended the rulebooks on management and safety in tunnels because it has stronger legal power.

Zoran Drobnjak, Director of the PE Roads of Serbia, the investor in the construction of the Pakovrace - Pozega section, spoke about this and other controversial issues related to that section in an interview for Insajder.

When asked by Insajder journalists why the Roads of Serbia, as the investor, insisted on putting the unfinished road into trial operation, the director of that company replied that what had not been completed could be completed, but in a way that did not affect traffic safety.

Sofronijevic: Section from Pakovrace to Pozega safe, spreading panic a criminal offense

Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Aleksandra Damnjanovic Sofronijevic says that the new section of the E-763 “Miloš Veliki” highway, from Pakovrace to Pozega, is safe. She states that claims that the section is unsafe for traffic constitute spreading panic and have elements of a criminal offense.

She emphasizes that the construction of the highway was very demanding due to the geology and complicated terrain.

– This is a road that passes through hilly and mountainous areas with very problematic geology, geotechnics and other complications – says Damnjanovic Sofronijevic.

The minister explains that one third of the entire section consists of bridges and tunnels.

– On this relatively short section there are 35 bridges, eight overpasses, three traffic interchanges and the two currently longest tunnels in Serbia - Munjino brdo and Laz – explains the competent minister.

She highlights the work on the Munjino brdo tunnel as the most demanding part of the job, but she also notes that the best materials were used in that area.

– The drilling of the Munjino brdo tunnel was the most demanding due to problems related to geology, but also the occurrence of groundwater, because the work was carried out in a disintegrated or crumbling rock mass – emphasizes Damnjanovic Sofronijevic.

The value of the project, she emphasizes, is 675 million dollars.

“Using the highway is completely safe”

The section is completely safe and complete, the minister in charge believes, regarding the claims of a part of the public about the unsafe nature of the route.

– Such claims come from people who have not had access to the technical documentation, nor do they know what is written in the regulation, what is written in the rulebook and what is written in the law – says Damnjanovic Sofronijevic.

Regarding the objection about manual control in the tunnels, she says that she has also consulted with engineers.

– The manual control mode that will be in effect from today at 12 PM is identical to automatic control – emphasizes the minister.

She explains that “some tests” still remain to be done, but reiterates that using the highway is completely safe and that it would not have been opened if it were not so.

Regarding the information that the engineers did not want to sign off on all the records, she responds that it is incorrect and that “all the engineers signed off on all the records.”

She points out that there is proper documentation and that expert opinions have been filed regarding the work on the highway, and that those who present information that she considers incorrect have never requested such documentation and information.

She emphasizes that after the accident at the Novi Sad railway station that occurred on November 1, 2024, no engineer would risk their license for something that is unsafe.

– The regulation contains eight specified conditions that must be met from beginning to end – says the minister, explaining that without them, the Commission for Technical Inspection of the Facility would not propose that the highway section be opened.

Regarding landslides, she says that “there is no danger and 23 landslides have been recorded on the entire section.”

– All landslides have been remediated through the implementation of works – emphasizes the minister.

The most prominent and largest landslide is the “K22” slope located after exiting the Munjino brdo tunnel, explains the minister.

Predsedništvo Republike Srbije

CRBC SERBIA OGRANAK BEOGRAD

China Communications Construction Company ltd Beograd

CRBC

CCCC

Aleksandar Vučić

Wang Lijun

Miloš Veliki highway Pakovraće Požega