Construction of highway to Republic of Srpska starts in 2011 - investment worth 1.14 billion EUR

The Minister of Infrastructure of Serbia, Milutin Mrkonjić, announced yesterday (December 14, 2009) that construction of the highway to Republic of Srpska, in which 1.14 billion EUR would be invested, should start in 2011.

Mrkonjić said at the press conference following the meeting with the Minister of Transportation of Republic of Srpska, Nedeljko Čubrilović, that the highway would be about 200 km long and that it would connect Corridor 10, via Pojate, Kruševac, Čačak, Požega and Užice, with Višegrad.

- Documentation and expropriation will be finished next year, while construction will start in 2011 - he said and pointed out that Serbia would apply for the money from international finance institutions for construction of that highway.

The Minister of Transportation of Republic of Srpska, Nedeljko Čubrilović, said that that country would support construction of the highway and added that it would enable connection to branch C of Pan-European Corridor 5, between Osijek and Mostar.

Čubrilović does not believe that anyone in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) has something against construction of that highway.

- We in BIH always easily agree on construction of any road in the country - said he.

It was said at the conference that construction of 60 km of the highway between Požega and Kotroman would cost about 830m EUR, that is, about 14m EUR per kilometer, since construction of 60 bridges, 20 tunnels and 13 overpasses would be necessary.

Čubrilović also said that "Sky Srpska", the air transportation company of Republic of Srpska, would purchase two new airplanes within the next two months and establish the traffic between Belgrade and Banjaluka, as well as introduce flights to other destination in association with company "Jat Airways".

The Minister of Transportation of RS was unable to specify which airplanes were going to be procured and what the value of the procurement was since the tender was in progress.