JANKOVIĆ: NUMEROUS CAPITAL PROJECTS UNDERWAY, €40 MILLION FOR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

BANJA LUKA, MAY 23 /SRNA/ - The acting director of the public company Putevi Republike /Roads of Republika Srpska /, Miroslav Janković, stated that a memorandum on a €40 million loan arrangement has been signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development /EBRD/ for investment in road infrastructure across Republika Srpska, noting that numerous capital projects are either underway or in preparation, from Prijedor to Trebinje.

Janković said that these funds will be invested in road infrastructure throughout the entire territory of Republika Srpska. “These are funds that we will invest in road infrastructure across the whole territory of Republika Srpska - from Novi Grad to Bijeljina, from Bijeljina to Trebinje,” Janković said in a SRNA podcast. BYPASSES AROUND PRIJEDOR AND ČELINAC, NEW LANES ACROSS ROMANIJA According to him, several major projects will be financed from this credit arrangement, including bypass roads around Prijedor and Čelinac, as well as additional third lanes on Romanija. “The Prijedor bypass is truly a capital project that is currently in preparation. Project and planning documentation is currently being developed,” Janković said. He pointed out that three additional lanes are planned across Romanija, two from the direction of Vlasenica and one from the direction of Mokro toward Podromanija, and a fourth is being financed from domestic funds. “We expect to sign the contract and start the construction work,” Janković said. He emphasized that €4 million in grant funds have been secured for the preparation and planning documentation. “The plan is to conclude negotiations with the EBRD in October, which will create the conditions for launching a tender for construction works. If weather conditions allow, some works will start this year; if not, then next year,” Janković said. TENDER EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED FOR THE PRIJEDOR-NOVI GRAD ROAD Speaking about the new construction season, Janković said that a large number of road infrastructure projects are currently underway. He said that the rehabilitation of the Klašnice–Šargovac main road has continued, including the expressway from Klašnice to Banja Luka. “I expect this to be completed within the next three to four months. So, by mid-August, all works will be finished,” Janković said. He said that a tender is expected to be issued for the construction of the Prijedor–Novi Grad road, specifically the section from Prijedor to Dragotinja, and that works are also underway on the overpass in Trn. “We are completing the bridge in Šiprage. We have finished the roundabout in Čelinac,” Janković said. He added that works are also ongoing on the bridge over the Ukrina River on the Ukrina–Klupe–Teslić road, and that the rehabilitation of the Srbac–Prnjavor–Derventa main road will be carried out. Janković particularly highlighted the completion of the bridge in the Česma neighborhood of Banja Luka, which is important not only for the city but also for the wider region, noting that the Government of Republika Srpska recognized the capital importance of the project and assigned it to the public company Putevi Republike Srpske. “We completed that project, and to the satisfaction of all citizens, the bridge is now in use,” Janković said. He said that work is in progress on several sections in the eastern part of Republika Srpska, including the reconstruction of bridges in Ustiprača and works on the Foča–Tjentište road. “We also had some delays there, but for justified reasons. When the contractor started the works, we came across burial sites twice and twice across medieval tombstones /stećci/,” Janković said. He added that, because of this, the project and planning documentation had to be changed four times, but that the works are now expected to intensify. FOČA-ŠĆEPAN POLJE ROAD AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECTS Janković pointed out that one of the most important projects is the Foča–Šćepan Polje road, with the first 5.5 kilometers financed by Putevi Republike Srpske. “The bridge on that section, 80 meters long, is currently being completed. We expect all works on the first 5.5 kilometers to be finished by August,” Janković said. He said that the tender procedure for the bridge over the Tara River, i.e., the border bridge between Republika Srpska and Montenegro, is currently underway. “The most significant part of that section is the remaining 13 kilometers. It is not a particularly long route, but it is very demanding. There are 13 bridges along the route and more than 10 kilometers of retaining structures. The total value of the project is €91 million. The plan is for the works to last between 36 and 40 months. The most intensive works on this section are expected to begin by next spring at the latest,” Janković said.