By the end of the year, it is expected that the conceptual solution and the main project for the second section of the highway from Mateševo to Andrijevica will be completed, announced the president of the Board of Directors of Monteput, Dušan Golović.
According to Monteput data, by March 5, 1.45 million vehicles passed through the first section of the highway and a revenue of EUR 5.85 million was generated.
According to earlier estimates, the construction of the second section of the highway from Mateševo to Andrijevica, with a length of 23.5 kilometers, was supposed to start next year, the portal RTCG reports.
– The conceptual design of the bypass around Podgorica is also awaited, and I hope that by the end of the year, all the design related to that section will be completed, both the conceptual design and the main project – said Golović on the Link Radio of Montenegro program.
The price of the second part, he said, will be known after the completion of the main project.
– There is talk of a figure of 500 million, but it is not certain until the end of the main project. I hope that next year it would be possible to start the process of selecting bidders, and then apply for EU grants. There is a possibility that a good part will be financed by the European Bank or some other credit institution – said Golović.
He stated that 1.14 million vehicles passed through the first section of the Bar-Boljare Princess Ksenija highway from the beginning of the toll collection until the end of last year, and on the basis of the toll collection, an income of 4.64 million EUR was generated.
With that, as he said, the income plan was exceeded.
– We planned 800,000 vehicles for that period, however, the plan was exceeded for some 240,000 vehicles – said Golović.
From January 1 to March 5, he said, 305,700 vehicles passed through the highway, and EUR 1.2 million was collected from toll collection.
– The plan was also exceeded here. We planned a slight upward trend this year compared to last year – said Golović.
This year, as he added, total revenues are planned in the amount of EUR 63.7 million.
– However, a large amount of money that is seen as income is from the sale of power infrastructure in the amount of EUR 42.5 million to the Montenegrin electric transmission system, because Monteput built the substations that supply the highway and according to the contract is obliged to transfer them to electricity operators – he said is Golovic.
According to Golović, the Sozina tunnel is expected to generate 11 million EUR this year, 9.4 million from the highway, while other planned revenues amount to around 500,000 EUR.
Golović also said that the highway cannot be expected to pay for itself, at least not in the initial years.
– As far as the dynamics of loan repayment is concerned, of course this share cannot pay for itself, at least not in the initial years. You should be open and say that it is a complex stock. It should not be expected, it is not realistic that she can at least pay herself now – said Golović, noting that Monteput is in charge of proper functioning and safety on the highway, and the Government of Montenegro is the owner.
He announced that the safety on the highway is at a high level.
– We haven’t had a single accident with fatal consequences, and that speaks of safety – said Golović.
As for the burning of cars that were on the highway in the previous period, it is said that the road is not the reason for it.
– These are the same types of vehicles, older vehicles and probably details about the engine. The road is not the reason why accidents happened – said Golović.
He reminded that the workers of the Maintenance Service are present on the highway 24 hours a day and are ready to react at any time and in record time.
– The company owns ten snowplows and two specialized work vehicles that, in addition to snow removal, also perform other road maintenance activities. We have a tiller and two combined working machines. It is all the most modern equipment – said Golović.
When asked whether the maintenance of the highway was demanding during the past eight months, especially in the winter period, Golović replied that the past winter was mild and that it cannot be taken as an example, but he notes that when the snow fell, it was regularly cleared and there was no downtime.
As he said, the purchase of a vehicle for cleaning sewage drains is also planned.
Golović also said that there will be no change in the price policy.
– The price policy remains the same. On Sozina, the price has not changed since the beginning, despite the increase in the prices of other services. Sozina has repaid herself, but the loan has not yet been closed. Sozina was designed for one pipe of the highway section that will go to Bar, and another pipe is planned. Sozina will become an integral part of the highway. I understand the people who live nearby, but it is not easy to change the price without discrimination – concluded Golović.
