A new lifeline is being built in Šumadija: Roads that will transform Serbia and people's lives

Once fully completed, it will connect central Serbia with the eastern and western parts of the country and link two key road corridors, the E75 and the “Miloš Veliki” highway. It is therefore no surprise that it has already been dubbed the lifeline of Šumadija.

From Mladenovac to Belgrade in 35 minutes

The construction of this strategically important road and the development of Serbia’s transport infrastructure will give numerous cities, municipalities and, above all, citizens the opportunity not only to travel faster but also to achieve greater development and prosperity.

During a tour of the construction works on this important road in mid-September, then-President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić said that the section to Arandjelovac was expected to be completed within three years.

“From Mladenovac to central Belgrade, it will take 35 minutes, no longer, while Arandjelovac will be a maximum of 45 minutes away,” Vučić said at the time while inspecting the works near Mladenovac.

He stressed that this expressway would boost the entire Šumadija region, particularly its northern part, which could develop as a tourist destination similar to Fruška Gora. The construction of the “Vožd Karadjordje” road will ease congestion on existing routes, helping to reduce travel costs and journey times, while making driving safer.

Two main branches of the road

The road will have two main branches connecting the E75 and E763 highways, which will then meet in the wider Arandjelovac area. The Mladenovac branch begins at the Mali Požarevac interchange on the E75 highway. The route then runs through the areas of Sopot and Mladenovac toward Orašac and Arandjelovac.

The Lazarevac branch begins at the Čibutkovica interchange, where it will connect with the “Miloš Veliki” highway. From there, it will run through the Lazarevac and Orašac areas toward Aranđelovac. This solution will enable a direct connection between the country’s two most important highways through northern Šumadija. The greatest benefits from the project will be seen by residents of Mladenovac, Lazarevac, Arandjelovac, Topola and Rača, as well as the wider areas around Kosmaj and Bukulja.

Bridges, tunnels and a modern road

The project includes the construction of numerous bridges and other road structures, as well as grade-separated intersections that will allow vehicles to enter and exit the road safely.

Several tunnels are also planned along the route, including Ravnice, Oglavak and Trbušnica.

The section from Mali Požarevac to Arandjelovac is planned as a modern road with two lanes in each direction. This section alone will include a large number of bridge structures due to the terrain through Šumadija.

The central point and junction of several routes will be the Orašac interchange, which will connect routes toward Mali Požarevac, the E-75 highway (Markovac West), the “Miloš Veliki” highway (Čibutkovica West) and Arandjelovac. Specifically, construction of Sector 3 will connect Mali Požarevac via Mladenovac and Sopot with Orašac and Arandjelovac, while Sector 2 will connect Orašac and Aranđelovac with Lazarevac and the “Miloš Veliki” highway. The combined length of these two sectors is nearly 83 kilometers.

After the two branches merge near Arandjelovac, the “Vožd Karadjordje” highway will continue toward Topola, Rača, Lapovo and Velika Plana. The subsequent route plan includes the areas of Svilajnac and Despotovac, while the final section of the corridor is expected to extend toward Bor. In this way, the new road will connect numerous cities and municipalities that previously did not have direct access to the motorway network.

Serbia crisscrossed by modern roads

The construction of the “Vožd Karadjordje” highway comes after the construction of Serbia’s first digital 5G highway, the Morava Corridor. It represents a major turning point because it physically and functionally connects Corridor 10 (near Pojate) with the “Miloš Veliki” highway (near Preljina). The route integrates an area inhabited by more than 500,000 people.

The highway itself passes directly through the most important centers of the Morava region: Čačak, Kraljevo, Vrnjačka Banja, Trstenik, Kruševac, Stalać and Ćićevac, Kurir notes.

There is also the Danube Corridor, which is expected to transform eastern Serbia. This expressway is considered vital and is expected to significantly change the living standards and economy of eastern Serbia while creating conditions for people from the region living abroad to return. In its first phase, the corridor will strategically connect Požarevac, Veliko Gradište and Golubac with Belgrade and Corridor 10 via the “Požarevac” interchange. The journey from Belgrade to Veliko Gradište will take less than an hour, while Golubac will be approximately one hour and 15 to 20 minutes away.

The third major road infrastructure investment is the “Smile of Vojvodina,” an impressive 185-kilometer corridor that will connect the western and eastern parts of Vojvodina, running from the border crossing with Hungary at Bački Breg to the Romanian border at Nakovo and Srpska Crnja.

The road is designed to pass through the territories of Sombor, Kula, Vrbas, Srbobran, Bečej, Novi Bečej and Kikinda. In addition to these cities, the route will provide connecting roads and bypass settlements such as Sivac, Crvenka, Radičević, Novo Miloševo and Bočar.