Belgrade / Novi Sad, Dec 22, 2003 - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic opened the right lane of a 25km section of the Belgrade-Novi Sad motorway on Monday.
The section is part of a 33.8km-long motorway section running from Belgrade to the Beska bridge which will be completed in a month's time, said Zivkovic, adding that the last nine kilometres of the section may be completed ahead of the deadline, weather conditions permitting.
The completion of the Belgrade-Novi Sad motorway section was behind schedule due to poor performance of contractors, the Prime Minister explained, stressing that the section will help to improve Serbia's transport safety and standards.
Zivkovic noted that 1,100km of Serbia's roads have been repaired since 2001, adding that a further 850km of roads are slated for repair and construction in 2004.
The Prime Minister also voiced hope that a new Serbian constitution will give Vojvodina broader autonomy, allowing it to resume road construction in the province.
Illustrating the importance of the Belgrade-Novi Sad motorway, Novi Sad Mayor Borislav Novakovic said that 169 accidents were reported on the existing road in January-November this year, with seven persons killed and 46 injured. According to him, the motorway will not only raise transport safety, but will also reduce the Belgrade to Novi Sad journey time from the current 90 minutes to around 45.
Also attending the opening ceremony were Vojvodina Executive Council Chairman Djordje Djukic and Serbian Road Directorate head Tihomir Timotijevic who said that the construction of a new Beska bridge will start next year.
The Prime Minister also toured the reconstructed facilities of the Novi Sad oil refinery which was severely damaged in the 1999 bombing campaign. During the tour, Zivkovic stressed that the Serbian government has managed to revive the state oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) over the past three years by eliminating the gray market of oil derivatives and securing regular supplies of oil products.
