CONSTRUCTION OF 120-KILOMETER-MOTORWAY IN PROGRESS, COMPLETION OF TWO SECTIONS IN 2026

BANJA LUKA, DECEMBER 31 /SRNA/ - CEO of the Republika Srpska Motorways Public Enterprise Nedeljko Ćorić stated in SRNA interview that the construction of another 120 kilometers of motorways in Srpska is underway, and the completion of two extremely significant sections are expected in 2026.

"Our key project of national interest is connecting Banjaluka with Belgrade. The Bijeljina - Rača section will be completed in 2026, which we are successfully working on it at full capacity," Ćorić pointed out. He noted that the contracted value of this project is BAM 258.1 million. The financing was agreed between the governments of Republika Srpska and Serbia in the ratio of 20:80 percent. The second section, whose completion is scheduled for 2026, is on the Vc Corridor near Doboj, Putnikovo Brdo, which Ćorić states, is the most demanding project the Motorways has worked on. "That section is 5.6 kilometers long, but is extremely demanding. The problem arose while implementing the above mentioned project, during the construction of the tunnel as it triggered a landslide, which slowed down the work, but all other works are in the final phase," said Ćorić. He said that the implementation of this project was financed through the loans given by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development /EBRD/in the amount of EUR 150 million and EU grants through the Investment Fund for the Western Balkans in the amount of EUR 38.7 million, while seven million euros was provided for project supervision. When it comes to the remaining sections of the Banjaluka – Belgrade motorway, Ćorić said the preparatory work is underway on the Vukosavlje - Brčko section, which has been entrusted to a Chinese company with which a financial contract is expected to be signed and construction to begin next year. "We are finalizing negotiations with the Bank of China regarding the signing of a financial contract for the construction of the Bijeljina - Brčko section, which the contractors have been selected for. The Chinese partners assure us that, if the conditions are right, they will complete this section by the end of 2026. In my opinion, a bit too ambitious, but when it comes to Chinese partners, they should not be underestimated," Ćorić pointed out. According to him, the contracted value of both projects is almost one billion BAM. Ćorić stated it is necessary to resolve the situation on the Vc Corridor next year, Vukosavlje – Doboj, as it will be the only section on the Banja Luka - Belgrade without work execution being contracted. He pointed out that there is currently another highway construction site in Republika Srpska, Prijedor region, where the Chinese concessionaire is building the first section of the Banjaluka-Prijedor-Novi Grad motorway, and the contracted value of the works is EUR 297 million. "When we put all these values on paper and add them up, we come to the fact that in Republika Srpska, at this moment, BAM 2.1 billion is invested in the construction of motorways alone," Ćorić emphasized. Ćorić mentioned that there is a serious interest in starting the works on the Mrkonjić Grad - Banja Luka section and the Banja Luka ring road, which will have to be included in the extremely important priorities. "The goal is that tomorrow, when we build the Prijedor-Banjaluka motorway, we will connect that motorway with the motorways we already have via the aforementioned bypass," stated Ćorić. Ćorić pointed out that Chinese partners are interested in the Glamočani-Mliništa motorway section, which is actually a continuation of the north - south E 661 European route.