Six years for Belgrade-Novi Sad highway

Construction of the Belgrade-Zrenjanin-Novi Sad Highway in Serbia is expected to take around six years, according to the Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure.

Goran Vesic said that the total cost of the 100km project is estimated at €1.6 billion and will be completed by the Chinese company Shandong Hi-Speed Group Corporation working with various Serbian contractors.

Work will include demolition of the existing Sava Bridge, according to a report by the Serbian news agency Tanjug. The 430m-long, 40-wide steel tied arch bridge, which opened in 1942, crosses the River Sava within Belgrade. It is the smallest road bridge in the Serbian capital and is used both for car and tram traffic.

Serbian prime minister Miloš Vučević, who toured the constructions site, said he believes that the work will be completed on time, noting that Shandong Hi-Speed has so far respected deadlines and quality and fulfilled what was agreed upon.

Section one of the project involves construction of 65km of highway between Ovca and Zrenjanin and then section two of 35km between Zrenjanin and Novi Sad, as well as two bridges over the Tamis River, one bridge over the Tisa River and a bridge over the Begei River.

Shandong Hi-Speed Group Corporation or Shandong Gaosu Group, is a solely state-owned enterprise in Jinan, China, owned by the Shandong Provincial People's Government. It is mainly engaged in investment, construction and operation of highways, expressways, bridges, railways, rail transits, harbours, shipping and logistics.