Montenegro has ordered completion of the Tivat-Jaz boulevard by the end of 2026, putting contractors under pressure to finish one of the country’s most important coastal road projects while unresolved water and sewer works remain a schedule risk.
Transport Minister Radoš Zečević said the corridor must be fully operational by year-end.
Contractors have told the ministry that the remaining road-surface works can be completed on schedule.
The larger uncertainty concerns utility infrastructure linked to Kotor and Budva, where coordination over water and sewer systems is still required.
The boulevard is strategically important because it serves the Tivat-Kotor-Budva tourism corridor, one of Montenegro’s most congested areas during summer.
Traffic delays between the airport, Bay of Kotor and Budva have become a persistent constraint on tourism and local mobility.
Completion would improve airport access, reduce travel times and support hotels, residential developments and other investments across the coast.
The government’s year-end deadline also illustrates a recurring infrastructure problem.
Road construction can advance faster than underground utilities, leaving completed sections dependent on separate municipal or utility works.
If water and sewer installations are not coordinated before final paving, later excavation can increase costs and disrupt traffic again.
That makes the remaining utility work more than a minor technical issue.
The project also carries wider tourism implications.
Montenegro is adding airline capacity at Tivat while visitor numbers continue to rise.
Airport growth without corresponding road capacity risks shifting congestion from the terminal to the surrounding transport network.
The Tivat-Jaz boulevard is therefore part of the same tourism-infrastructure equation as airport expansion.
The commercial value of completing it before the 2027 season is clear.
The main risk is now timing.
If utility coordination slips into next year, Montenegro could enter another summer season with parts of the corridor unfinished.
The government has set the deadline.
Whether contractors and local utilities can meet it will determine if the project begins delivering its tourism and mobility benefits in 2027.
