The construction of the Sarajevo-Podgorica road, at its most critical section across Šćepan Polje, has fully secured funds for the construction of the interstate bridge on the Tara River, and more than 15 kilometers of access road from the Hum border crossing to Brod na Drini, said BiH Minister of Communications and Transport Edin Forto.
“What seemed impossible just a few years ago is becoming a reality today,” Forto emphasized.
Forto says that the money for the road across Šćepan Polje is part of the package he agreed with the World Bank during a series of meetings in Washington, which ensured complete financing for the entire project.
“The effort has paid off. After more than 40 years of mere talk and promises, we finally have a closed financial structure – operational funds and a clear path to the start of work,” said Minister Forto.
The construction of the bridge is being financed by the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH and the Government of Montenegro, while the financier for the construction of the kilometer of access road to the bridge is JP Putevi RS, which is conducting a joint public procurement procedure.
“All this confirms that the road through Šćepan Polje is no longer a sketch on paper, but a project that has finally reached the implementation phase. Such projects show what serious cooperation between institutions, neighboring countries and international partners brings and give us hope that there will be more of them in the future,” concluded Forto.
Montenegro is also currently conducting procedures for the design and construction of its access road, and a tender is expected soon for a 15-kilometer access road from the Hum – Šćepan Polje border crossing to Brod na Drini, for which operational funds from the World Bank in the amount of 39.4 million euros and funds from the EBRD are also intended.
