Belgrade–Bar motorway
Encyclopedia
Belgrade–Bar motorway is a future motorway in Serbia
and Montenegro
. The motorway will connect Serbian capital of Belgrade
and Bar
, Montenegro's main seaport
. Italy
, Montenegro and Serbia are lobbying to list the route with Pan-European corridors
, and it is frequently referred to as part of proposed Corridor XI, or 4B - an envisioned ferry/motorway corridor linking Bari
, Bar
, Belgrade
and Bucharest
.
towards the Belgrade - Bar motorway. The motorway is envisioned as a local link as mush as a transit link, connecting densely populated southwestern Serbia with Belgrade and European road network.
The section of the road between Belgrade and Požega will pass through the Serbian towns of Ostružnica
, Umka
, Obrenovac
, Ub
, Lajkovac
, Ljig
, Takovo
, Preljina
and Požega. It is estimated that this section of the motorway will cost around 575 million euro
s, and because of favorable terrain it will be the cheapest section of the motorway.
The southern section of the road from Požega to Boljare will cost at least 1.5 billion euros, for approximately 110 km (68.4 mi). The exact route of this section has not yet been determined.
agreed to cancel the contract in August 2008.
In 2010, consortium of Serbian construction companies won the bidding for building of 12,5 km section between Ub
and Lajkovac
. On July 30, 2010, the work began and the construction is still underway.
phase, and is devised as a public-private partnership
. A general contractor
that signs the contract with the Government of Montenegro
is to finance the construction of the motorway, and conduct maintenance and collect toll
fees and other incomes for a period of 30 years after completion. During that 30 year period, Government of Montenegro will pay off its share of financing through annuities
.
The bidding offers were reviewed in March 2009, and the top bid came from the Croatian
consortium, led by the company of Konstruktor. This was followed by signing of contract document, and announcing of the beginning of construction works in June 2009. The official construction works opening ceremony happened on October 15, 2009, in the village of Gornje Mrke north of Podgorica, attended by the Prime Ministers of Montenegro (Milo Đukanović), Serbia (Mirko Cvetković
) and Croatia (Jadranka Kosor
). However, the Croatian consortium failed to provide necessary bank guarantees in a timely manner, so the contract was cancelled eight months later.
The second best rated bidder, a consortium of the Greek
company Aktor and the Israel
i company Shikun & Binui was called in for negotiations by the Government. After negotiations, it was agreed that Aktor/HCH consortium builds two southern sections of the motorway for a price of 1.575 billion euro. The third and the northernmost section, from Mateševo
to Boljare (border with Serbia), as well as the small strip across the Lake Skadar, were to be the subject of further negotiations. However, the Greek-Israeli consortium also failed to provide bank guarantees, so the negotiations between the consortium and the Government of Montenegro were ended in December 2010.
The Government of Montenegro is now exploring the different options for motorway construction, including the negotiations with Chinese
investors. The possibility of China Road and Bridge Group
and China Poly Group Corporation building the road, with the financial backing of Exim Bank of China, is now mentioned in the Montenegrin media. In January 2011, the Montenegrin Minister of Transportation has sent an official letter of invitation to the Poly Group, and the negotiations are currently underway. If the negotiations come through, the terms of building and financing will be established via treaty
, thus avoiding the bidding process and discarding the public-private partnership option.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. The motorway will connect Serbian capital of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
, Montenegro's main seaport
Port of Bar
The Port of Bar is Montenegro's main sea port. It is located in Bar.-History:The Port of Bar was used as a sea port for Scutari before it was conquered by the Turks in 1571....
. Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Montenegro and Serbia are lobbying to list the route with Pan-European corridors
Pan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
, and it is frequently referred to as part of proposed Corridor XI, or 4B - an envisioned ferry/motorway corridor linking Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
Serbian section
Just recently the focus has somewhat shifted away from construction of the transit route of Corridor 10European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
towards the Belgrade - Bar motorway. The motorway is envisioned as a local link as mush as a transit link, connecting densely populated southwestern Serbia with Belgrade and European road network.
Route description
Serbian section of the motorway can be roughly divided into two sections - Belgrade to Požega and Požega to Boljare (Border with Montenegro).The section of the road between Belgrade and Požega will pass through the Serbian towns of Ostružnica
Ostružnica
Ostružnica is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Čukarica....
, Umka
Umka
Umka is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Čukarica.-Location and geography:Umka is located 22 km south-west of Belgrade, on the right bank of the Sava river...
, Obrenovac
Obrenovac
Obrenovac is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 44°40′ North, 20°13′ East. Its name stems from last name "Obrenović" which in turn stems from name "Obren" in Serbian language. In 2003 the municipality has total population of 75,949...
, Ub
Ub (Serbia)
Ub is a town and municipality located in the Kolubara District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 6,164, while population of the municipality is 29,022.-History:...
, Lajkovac
Lajkovac
Lajkovac is a small town and municipality in Serbia, close to the town of Lazarevac.It is located in the Kolubara River valley and near to Ibar highway, the main route from Serbia to Montenegro....
, Ljig
Ljig
Ljig is a town of 3,219 inhabitants in central Serbia. It is surrounded by a municipality of the same name, which has a total of 12,730 inhabitants.Ljig is an underdeveloped region of Serbia, surrounded by Mount Rajac and Mount Rudnik...
, Takovo
Takovo
Takovo is a village in the municipality of Gornji Milanovac, Serbia. It has a population of about 500.The Second Serbian Uprising under the leadership of Miloš Obrenović started in this village.- External links :*...
, Preljina
Preljina
Preljina is a small town in the municipality of Čačak, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 1,801 people.-References:...
and Požega. It is estimated that this section of the motorway will cost around 575 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, and because of favorable terrain it will be the cheapest section of the motorway.
The southern section of the road from Požega to Boljare will cost at least 1.5 billion euros, for approximately 110 km (68.4 mi). The exact route of this section has not yet been determined.
Current progress
In Serbia, efforts to start the construction of the 146.37 km (91 mi) long section between Belgrade and Požega began in 2008, when a concession contract was signed with Alpine Mayreder and FCC Construction. Yet, Alpine and Government of SerbiaGovernment of Serbia
Officially the Government of the Republic of Serbia is the executive branch of government in Serbia.-Current government:The current government was elected on 7 July 2008 by the majority vote in the National Assembly of Serbia and restructured on 14 March 2011...
agreed to cancel the contract in August 2008.
In 2010, consortium of Serbian construction companies won the bidding for building of 12,5 km section between Ub
Ub (Serbia)
Ub is a town and municipality located in the Kolubara District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 6,164, while population of the municipality is 29,022.-History:...
and Lajkovac
Lajkovac
Lajkovac is a small town and municipality in Serbia, close to the town of Lazarevac.It is located in the Kolubara River valley and near to Ibar highway, the main route from Serbia to Montenegro....
. On July 30, 2010, the work began and the construction is still underway.
Montenegrin section
The Montenegrin part of motorway is known as Bar-Boljare motorway. It will be 164 km long, and by far the most expensive one, with an estimated cost of around 2 billion euros. The rugged mountainous terrain is an engineering challenge, with 50 tunnels and 95 bridges and viaducts planned along the section.Route description
The Montenegrin part is to be built in three phases:- (BarBar, MontenegroBar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
) Đurmani - Sozina tunnelSozina tunnelThe Sozina Tunnel is a road tunnel in Montenegro, and is a part of E65 European route. It is located north of town of Sutomore, and is designed to bypass the mountain range "Paštrovska Gora" that separates Montenegrin coast from Zeta plain and Skadar Lake basin .The road tunnel "Sozina" is 4,189 m...
- VirpazarVirpazarVirpazar is a town in the Bar, Montenegro municipality, Montenegro. It is located in the Crmnica region, on the shore of Skadar Lake. According to 2003 census, it has a population of 337. It is a stop on the Belgrade - Bar railway, and is home to Virpazar hotel, a picturesque lakeshore hotel....
- Bistrica - Šteke - ĆafaCAFACAFA may refer to:*Canadian Airborne Forces Association*Canadian Association of Farm Advisors*China Central Academy of Fine Arts*Class Action Fairness Act of 2005*Critical Assessment of Function Annotation...
- Tološko polje - (PodgoricaPodgoricaPodgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
) Smokovac - this is the southernmost section of the motorway, that will link Montenegrin capital of Podgorica with main Montenegrin seaport in Bar. Potential investors, such as EBRDEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentFounded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Its mission was to support the formerly communist countries in the process of establishing their...
and EIBEuropean Investment BankThe European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
, are suggesting that this section should be built first, as it will likely have the biggest traffic volume, once completed. The planned length of this section is 51 km.
- (Podgorica) Smokovac - BiočeBioceBioče is a village nine miles northeast of Podgorica in Montenegro. In 2003 census it had a population of 179...
- Pelev Brijeg - Lijeva Rijeka - Veruša - MateševoMateševoMateševo is a village in northern Montenegro, within Kolašin municipality. The 2003 census put the population at 97.The first phase of planned Belgrade–Bar motorway will extend from Podgorica to this village....
- this middle section of the motorway is considered as a priority, because of its significance as a link between Podgorica and northern Montenegro. Current road link (E65European route E65European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
), carved into the MoračaMoračaMorača is a river in Montenegro. It originates in northern Montenegro, under Rzača mountain. It generally flows southwards for some , before emptying into Lake Skadar....
canyon, is a curvy mountainous road, considered dangerous during the winter, and is a bottleneck in Montenegrin road network. Thus, building this section first is a requirement in bidding documents presented by Montenegrin Government. This section will have a length of 40 km, and is by far the most expensive section of the motorway, with cost per kilometer of the motorway estimated to be higher than 20 million EUR.
- Mateševo - AndrijevicaAndrijevicaAndrijevica is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,073 . Its territory is outspread on 340 km2 and it is surrounded by massives of mountains Komovi, Bjelasica and Prokletije....
- BeraneBeraneBerane , formerly Ivangrad, is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 11,776 .Berane is the centre of municipality and one of the centres of Polimlje area, named after the Lim River, on which Berane is situated.-History:During the medieval period the Montenegrin land of Berane...
- Crnča - Boljare - Border with Serbia - this northernmost section of the motorway is likely to be completed only progress is made the on Serbian section of the motorway south of Požega. The planned length of this section is 73 km.
Current progress
The project is currently in construction biddingConstruction bidding
Construction bidding is the process of submitting a proposal to undertake, or manage the undertaking of a construction project. The process starts with a construction estimate from blueprints and take offs....
phase, and is devised as a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
. A general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
that signs the contract with the Government of Montenegro
Government of Montenegro
The Government of Montenegro is the executive branch of state authority in Montenegro. It is headed by the prime minister. It comprises the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers as well as ministers....
is to finance the construction of the motorway, and conduct maintenance and collect toll
Toll
The word toll has several meanings.Road transportation infrastructure* "Toll" is sometimes used as a synonym for tariff** Toll road, a road for which road usage tolls are charged...
fees and other incomes for a period of 30 years after completion. During that 30 year period, Government of Montenegro will pay off its share of financing through annuities
Annuity (finance theory)
The term annuity is used in finance theory to refer to any terminating stream of fixed payments over a specified period of time. This usage is most commonly seen in discussions of finance, usually in connection with the valuation of the stream of payments, taking into account time value of money...
.
The bidding offers were reviewed in March 2009, and the top bid came from the Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
consortium, led by the company of Konstruktor. This was followed by signing of contract document, and announcing of the beginning of construction works in June 2009. The official construction works opening ceremony happened on October 15, 2009, in the village of Gornje Mrke north of Podgorica, attended by the Prime Ministers of Montenegro (Milo Đukanović), Serbia (Mirko Cvetković
Mirko Cvetkovic
Mirko Cvetković is a Serbian economist and the Prime Minister of Serbia as well as the Minister of Finance.-Biography:...
) and Croatia (Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor is a Croatian politician and former journalist. She is the current Prime Minister of Croatia, having taken office on July 6, 2009, following the sudden resignation of her predecessor Ivo Sanader. She is Croatia's first female Prime Minister since independence.-Early life:Jadranka...
). However, the Croatian consortium failed to provide necessary bank guarantees in a timely manner, so the contract was cancelled eight months later.
The second best rated bidder, a consortium of the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
company Aktor and the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i company Shikun & Binui was called in for negotiations by the Government. After negotiations, it was agreed that Aktor/HCH consortium builds two southern sections of the motorway for a price of 1.575 billion euro. The third and the northernmost section, from Mateševo
Mateševo
Mateševo is a village in northern Montenegro, within Kolašin municipality. The 2003 census put the population at 97.The first phase of planned Belgrade–Bar motorway will extend from Podgorica to this village....
to Boljare (border with Serbia), as well as the small strip across the Lake Skadar, were to be the subject of further negotiations. However, the Greek-Israeli consortium also failed to provide bank guarantees, so the negotiations between the consortium and the Government of Montenegro were ended in December 2010.
The Government of Montenegro is now exploring the different options for motorway construction, including the negotiations with Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
investors. The possibility of China Road and Bridge Group
China Communications Construction
China Communications Construction Company Group, China Communications in short form, is an infrastructure and engineering group based on mainland China.- History :...
and China Poly Group Corporation building the road, with the financial backing of Exim Bank of China, is now mentioned in the Montenegrin media. In January 2011, the Montenegrin Minister of Transportation has sent an official letter of invitation to the Poly Group, and the negotiations are currently underway. If the negotiations come through, the terms of building and financing will be established via treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
, thus avoiding the bidding process and discarding the public-private partnership option.