More concrete works on Nis railroad this year – Preparatory work on Vozd Karadjordje to start in April or May

More concrete works on the Belgrade-Nis high-speed railroad, on the section from Stalac to Djunis, should finally start this year. A contract was signed with the Turkish company Gulemark for Stalac–Djunis in December, expert supervision has been selected and the construction permit is now being issued, said Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijevic.

– This railroad is 230 kilometers long. We have divided it into three sections, so that we can, to put it simply, tackle individual sections that become ready in phases – Sofronijevic pointed out in an interview with RTS.

She pointed out that the biggest challenge was in the city of Jagodina, where some citizens were demanding a relocation of the route, but that a solution was being sought in cooperation with experts and representatives of the European Commission.

– We are all trying to find a solution together with the citizens of Jagodina that will be to our mutual satisfaction. By the way, the complete technical documentation has been completed, and by the end of the year the spatial plan of the special purpose area for the first section will be completed, although technical documentation is also being worked on in parallel – says Sofronijevic, stating that this indicates that more serious work can begin on that section in 2027, in addition to the already mentioned one on the Stalac–Djunis section.

Station buildings in Subotica and Backa Topola and wings A and D of Novi Sad station to be in operation by the end of the year

Sofronijevic also addressed the issue of station buildings on the section of the high-speed railroad from Belgrade to Subotica, stating that the construction permit had been issued for the railroad from Novi Sad to Subotica, including the station buildings.

– At that time, some regulations were not in force. What unfortunately happened happened, and the republican construction inspection went to the site and carried out a subsequent inspection of all those stations and ordered the rehabilitation of the Novi Sad, Backa Topola and Subotica stations – said Sofronijevic.

She explains that the standards had changed, and that Serbian standards based on Eurocodes 6, 7 and 8 were applied.

– The bar was raised, and those conditions were not in force at the time of issuing the building permit. This contributed to the fact that we had to go to the rehabilitation of these station buildings. A contract was concluded, expert supervision was selected and all three mentioned stations will be in operation by the end of this year – added the minister.

She noted that only wings A and D would be worked on at the Novi Sad station building.

– For B and C (the central wings, from which the canopy fell off, ed. eKapija) for known reasons, access was not possible while the court proceedings and the investigation are ongoing. A tender was announced twice, simply, both the legal and physical and factual impossibility of building those two wings, but wing A and wing D have passed the static check, the project has been done and we will have it by December 1 – says Sofronijevic.

Preparatory works on Vozd Karadjordje in April or May

This year, 133 kilometers of new sections of highways and expressways are planned to be opened to traffic, the minister said. As she added, the construction of another 985 kilometers of these corridors is planned by 2035.

When it comes to the “Vozd Karadjordje” project, the minister said that final negotiations were underway for “Vozd Karadjordje” and that preparatory work could begin as early as April and May.

As for the “Vojvodina Smile” project, she said that contractual obligations had not been fulfilled.

– I think it is fairer to terminate the contract when you see that something is not being implemented, than to continue something that you see is not good – said Sofronijevic, speaking about the termination of the previous contract for this expressway.

She added that, since there are already valid permits for preparatory work, they will be launched by the end of the month.

By the end of the year, contract for wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade

Referring to the water supply and sewage infrastructure, the minister pointed out that it was an area in which there was a lot of room for progress, adding that, when it came to the wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade, it represented one of the most important municipal projects.

– Belgrade is, I think, the only capital in this part of Europe that does not have a wastewater treatment plant. Last year, a framework agreement was signed with a French company, and this year, talks continued for the first phase of the project. By the end of this year, we will have a signed contract. What is the most difficult thing here? Defining the technology – said the minister.

Ministarstvo građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Republike Srbije

Ministry of Construction Transport and Infrastructure

Aleksandra Sofronijević

Belgrade Niš high speed railroad

Stalać Đunis railroad

Vožd Karađorđe high speed railroad

Vojvodina Smile high speed railroad

repair of station buildings in Subotica Bačka Topola and Novi Sad

accident at rail station in Novi Sad

collapse of canopy at rail station in Novi Sad

wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade