DODIK: BIJELJINA-RAČA MOTORWAY SECTION'S WORK DYNAMICS INCREASING

BIJELJINA, October 22 /SRNA/ – President Milorad Dodik says that he is proud of the increased work dynamics on the Bijeljina-Rača motorway section in Republika Srpska, which will now be accelerated.

“We decided that, since Serbia will complete its section of the motorway to Kuzmin by September next year, we will do everything we can to build the seven to eight kilometers of motorway from the Rača Bridge to the interchange being constructed in Brodac,” Dodik told the press during a visit to the construction site of the Bijeljina – Rača motorway section. He says this is proof of Republika Srpska making progress. “I believe we can expect all of this to be completed by 2027,” Dodik said. He noted that he was guided by the old saying that people leave on bad roads, they return on good ones. “Primordial desire to connect with Serbia is not just about traffic infrastructure, it's also about overcoming a historical deficit, as we have never been connected to Serbia via motorway across the Drina,” Dodik said. He has emphasized that historical gap is being overcome today, so the connection with the homeland via this highway will strengthen the sense of national identity, which is very important. “Serbia agreed to finance this project because it is aware of how important it is for the Serb people to be connected with the homeland and the Serbian capital,” Dodik said, thanking, above all, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for his support. He highlighted that Republika Srpska will never forget that Serbia took upon itself the building of the bridge over the Sava River on the Rača-Kuzmin motorway, which according to international standards, should be co-financed by both countries, since it lies in a border zone. “In this case, that would be Republika Srpska and Serbia, because BiH would never give anything. Serbia took on the project, and the bridge is now completed,” Dodik said. He also mentioned that they are currently negotiating other things with the contractors, particularly regarding property rights, and that all the details of the Bijeljina-Brčko motorway section have been agreed upon, and that only the contract remains to be signed. “However, the route has still not been determined in Brčko, which poses a problem, so that issue remains to be resolved. There is a lack of understanding for such a project in Brčko,” Dodik said. He concluded that the motorway section is also crucial for another major project - the construction of a gas pipeline that will run from Zvornik to Bijeljina and then along the motorway to Banja Luka, Prijedor, and other cities in the region. “The gas pipeline construction is estimated at around EUR400 millio. We believe there will be a normalization of geostrategic relations, and we will have access to a new energy source,” Dodik said.