Corridor 10 construction top priority

The completion of Corridor 10, planned to take two years, is a top priority for the new government. However, the money for completing the project has yet to be secured. Corridor 10 construction top priority The construction of the section of the highway from Presevo to Leskovac began last week, and preparations for starting work on the Nis-Dimitrovgrad section began yesterday. The bypass around Dimitrovgrad will mark the start of construction of the 84 km stretch of road. Work on the highway has, however, only begun symbolically because of the recent poor weather, says Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic. He adds that about EUR 160mn will be needed for the first section of the highway, and about EUR 700mn will be needed to complete Corridor 10. “We will finance it partly from the budget, while the majority of the money will come from European banks and the World Bank. We are already negotiating, the talks have been going on for six months already, and we will have an agreement by the New Year,” says Serbian Roads CEO Zoran Drobnjak. The government stated that finishing Corridor 10 was a priority, and three lanes of the highway, from Nis to Dimitrovgrad, Presevo to Leskovac, and Horgos to Novi Sad, have to be complete within two years, Mrkonjic says. “Corridor 4 which goes between the neighboring countries of Bulgaria and Romania is threatening to take traffic away from us. We have another two or three years thanks to the fact that Romania and Bulgaria are working on a bridge that will take another three years. What is important is that the state has now decided to enter the project by the end of the year and finish it. We will reach an agreement over the money,” the minister explains. Only Serbian companies will be hired to work on the construction. There are also two tunnels planned for the Nis-Dimitrovgrad section of the highway. “The tunnels were planned according to all EU principles and standards, with all the accompanying equipment, ventilation, lighting, fire prevention systems, and control centers to monitor traffic activity within the tunnel,” says Slobodan Savic of the Institute for Roads. Drobnjak believes that the loans will be paid off in 4 to 5 years through highway tolls. Negotiations are also underway with Bulgaria to begin work on a highway from Sofia to the Serbian border. Milutin Mrkonjic (FoNet, archive)

Corridor 10 construction top priority

The construction of the section of the highway from Preševo to Leskovac began last week, and preparations for starting work on the Niš-Dimitrovgrad section began yesterday.

The bypass around Dimitrovgrad will mark the start of construction of the 84 km stretch of road.

Work on the highway has, however, only begun symbolically because of the recent poor weather, says Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić. He adds that about EUR 160mn will be needed for the first section of the highway, and about EUR 700mn will be needed to complete Corridor 10.

“We will finance it partly from the budget, while the majority of the money will come from European banks and the World Bank. We are already negotiating, the talks have been going on for six months already, and we will have an agreement by the New Year,” says Serbian Roads CEO Zoran Drobnjak.

The government stated that finishing Corridor 10 was a priority, and three lanes of the highway, from Niš to Dimitrovgrad, Preševo to Leskovac, and Horgoš to Novi Sad, have to be complete within two years, Mrkonjić says.

“Corridor 4 which goes between the neighboring countries of Bulgaria and Romania is threatening to take traffic away from us. We have another two or three years thanks to the fact that Romania and Bulgaria are working on a bridge that will take another three years. What is important is that the state has now decided to enter the project by the end of the year and finish it. We will reach an agreement over the money,” the minister explains.

Only Serbian companies will be hired to work on the construction. There are also two tunnels planned for the Niš-Dimitrovgrad section of the highway.

“The tunnels were planned according to all EU principles and standards, with all the accompanying equipment, ventilation, lighting, fire prevention systems, and control centers to monitor traffic activity within the tunnel,” says Slobodan Savić of the Institute for Roads.

Drobnjak believes that the loans will be paid off in 4 to 5 years through highway tolls. Negotiations are also underway with Bulgaria to begin work on a highway from Sofia to the Serbian border.