According to the new Spatial Plan, the Adriatic-Ionian Highway is no longer planned to be included in the Smokovac interchange, as it is directed from Podgorica towards Bar, Ulcinj and further towards Albania, but a conditional variant, now a highway, from Smokovac towards Tuzi and Božaj has remained, and only if, as stated, Albania needs it.
Without this conditional turn to Tuzi, Smokovac would no longer be an interchange, as it would only have a continuation of the highway towards Rogami and Tološi, i.e. another entrance and exit from Podgorica. However, the addition of the conditional expressway to Tuzi adds three entrances and exits and makes up two-thirds of the future large interchange.
Because of this conditional diversion for Tuzi in the Spatial Plan, a construction ban remains in place in the wider area of the village of Rogama - the hamlet of Ras, with 35 households and a hundred inhabitants, and they are in danger of having their houses and properties demolished. As a result, they cannot plan the development of their properties, which have vineyards and orchards, nor can they obtain the necessary infrastructure.
The Coordination Committee of Local Residents sent an open letter to MPs, before whom the debate on the Spatial Plan begins today, requesting that the inclusion of the expressway to Tuzi be deleted from the Plan, as unnecessary, because the Podgorica - Tuzi boulevard has already been built, and a highway connection is being established between Ulcinj and Shkodra.
This hamlet is made up of the Rajković and Vukanović families, who have lived there since the Berlin Congress at the end of the 19th century, and have 34 households with 100 members. There are also two companies with six employees each in the area of the future interchange.
"Esteemed members of parliament, private property, both that which nature has given us to protect and that which our hands have created over the centuries, is a part of the total national wealth, being responsibly and dedicatedly preserved. With the Smokovac interchange project, an area that was ecologically completely preserved would be completely destroyed. A ray of hope for all of us was the best possible decision to project the route of the Adriatic-Ionian motorway south towards Bar and Ulcinj with entry into Albania in the Sukobin area. However, our joy was short-lived because we came across a video of the expressway project from the Smokovac interchange to Božaj via YouTube. At a meeting held at our request with the director of Monteput, we learned that the expressway is being built at the request of the residents of Dinoša, Vuksanlekić and other villages in the area. The available video highlights that the route from the Smokovac interchange area immediately after bridging the Morača River enters a 2,5 km long tunnel in order to preserve houses and properties in the Doljani and Zlatica areas, as well as all the way to the border in Božaj," it was stated in letter.
In other words, tunnels of several kilometers are being built for other parts of the route so as not to destroy houses, but no other solutions are offered for Rogame and Ras.
Locals believe that a better and cheaper solution could have been found for the traffic connection between Podgorica and Tuzi, that would not endanger their homes, but that they only received a promise from Monteput that they would try to alleviate their problem, but not to delete the additional loop.
"We reject this proposal in its entirety as unacceptable and unfeasible for the following reasons: by changing the route of the Adriatic-Ionian motorway, there is no longer a third phase according to the 2008 spatial plan, and instead of that project, which is of international importance, a highway project cannot be found; accordingly, the scope and shape of the previously designed interchange cannot be maintained, because the expressway is an intercity road and does not have the same scope and importance as an international motorway; the connection between the Smokovac and Božaja interchange already exists via the roundabout at Zlatica and the boulevard towards Tuzi; it is also clear that in the near future the western bypass around Podgorica will be connected to the southern bypass and to the boulevard towards Tuzi. We insist, which is in accordance with the laws, that other alternative solutions be developed that will improve the traffic infrastructure and connect Tuzi and Božaja to the motorway, and that will not have catastrophic consequences for the citizens of the Ras hamlet," it was stated, among other things, in the letter sent on behalf of the Coordination citizens' committee sign Milodarka Novosel Vukanovic, Vukan Vukanovic, Branko Rajkovic i Zoran Rajkovic.
They point out that the proposed expressway to Tuzi, in addition to a large interchange on their properties, also includes two and a half kilometers of tunnels and three and a half kilometers of bridges for a total length of 22 kilometers and will cost several hundred million euros.
Without the inclusion of the expressway to Tuzi, Smokovac would no longer be a junction because it would only have one more entrance and exit.
There is still no environmental impact assessment for the entire loop.
Locals remind that a strategic environmental impact assessment has still not been completed for the Smokovac interchange, as the study is being done in phases.
"This is legally impermissible because there is no umbrella document, which further means that only after the construction of all three phases (in the event that the expressway to Božaj is built) will the impact of the interchange project on the pollution of drinking water, air and soil be assessed, and this should have been known (assessed) already in 2008 when the interchange was designed. We hereby call on our neighbors to understand and support us, as well as the members of the Parliament of Montenegro to whom this address is primarily addressed. It is ours to fight for our rights and to point out the facts, and it is up to you, the members of parliament, to decide on our behalf," it was stated, among other things, in a public address by the residents of the hamlet of Ras.
Bonus video:
