Montenegro's Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic (1st L) attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the revamp of a 16-km section of the main road along the coast in Tivat, Montenegro, Aug. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)
TIVAT, Montenegro, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The revamp of a 16-km section of the main road along the coast of Montenegro's city of Tivat kicked off on Friday. This is the second major project under the country's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation with China.
Montenegro's Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, Chinese Ambassador to Montenegro Fan Kun and Cai Kun, general director of the Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group, which is the main construction contractor, attended the groundbreaking ceremony in the coastal city Tivat, along with local officials and representatives of public enterprises.
"I hope that in two years from now we will be able to witness the opening of a 16-km boulevard that will significantly improve the transport along this section," Abazovic said.
According to the government's press release, the reconstruction of the country's most frequented and congested road aims to turn the 16-km section into a modern boulevard-type connection between Tivat Airport and the municipalities of Kotor and Budva, with two lanes in each direction, sidewalks and a median strip. It will also more than double the capacity of the existing regional water pipeline running under the road.
"This is one of the largest investments of the Transport Administration of Montenegro. This is one of the busiest roads in Montenegro that carries around 30,000 vehicles per day. In its current state, the road is a true bottleneck, especially in the peak of the tourist season," Radomir Vuksanovic, director of the Transport Administration of Montenegro, said.
The project, worth 53.9 million euros (59.1 million U.S. dollars), is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It is the second major project undertaken by Chinese construction companies in Montenegro under the BRI. The first highway section was finished last year by the China Road and Bridge Corporation. It connects the country's mountainous North with the capital Podgorica.
Ambassador Fan highlighted the Chinese companies' experience and strength in building world-class infrastructure.
"Montenegro has a superior geographical location in the Western Balkans and has the potential to become a regional traffic hub. It can take advantage of the rare opportunity provided by the Belt and Road Initiative to vigorously improve its infrastructure and connectivity, thereby achieving rapid economic and social development," he said. ■
Montenegro's Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the revamp of a 16-km section of the main road along the coast in Tivat, Montenegro, Aug. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)
Chinese Ambassador to Montenegro Fan Kun speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the revamp of a 16-km section of the main road along the coast in Tivat, Montenegro, Aug. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)