Neither two years of work, nor the more than 10 million euros spent, were enough for the authorities to solve the problem of landslides on the Mojkovac - Đurđevića Tara road, in the village of Sokolovina.
Just a few days after the rehabilitation was completed on the last day of last year, i.e. the construction of a gallery, and "controlled traffic flow was enabled", a large amount of stones and rocks barricaded the road again.
The Traffic Administration claims that this occurred solely due to "extraordinary and extreme weather conditions", and not due to any shortcomings during the execution of the works.
The problems on that road have been going on for years, and the works carried out in Sokolino by the Podgorica-based company "Intermost" began in the fall of 2023 and cost more than 10 million euros. The road has been continuously closed to traffic since then, and occasional delays have occurred even earlier, since 2015, when the road was not officially opened...
The Traffic Administration told "Vijesti" at the end of last week that "an expert committee consisting of designers, auditors, supervisors, contractors, and representatives of the Traffic Administration and interested parties" will be on the ground in the coming days.
The Commission's task, as they explained, is to conduct a "detailed insight into the situation on the ground in order to find the best solution for the newly created situation and ultimately resolve the Sokolovo problem."
"The landslide occurred solely due to extraordinary and extreme weather conditions, primarily extremely large amounts of precipitation, as well as the appearance of groundwater and surface water in places where they were not previously present. These are natural processes that cannot be fully influenced, especially in geologically and morphologically extremely complex terrain such as the Sokolovina site, where one of the most technically demanding road projects in Montenegro is being implemented," the Transport Administration announced, emphasizing that the landslide material has already been removed.
They claim that everything is in accordance with the project
They claim that "all works on the rehabilitation of the critical point of Sokolovina were carried out in accordance with the design and technical documentation, applicable standards and professional rules."
The Administration reminds that all structural elements have been completed, including the gallery, waterproofing, and protective layers.
"The unperformed asphalt works did not, nor could they, have any impact on the stability of the terrain, slopes or the occurrence of landslides. All works of importance for the stability of the structure and the safe flow of traffic were carried out in accordance with the project. The asphalting was planned after favorable weather conditions were achieved," they replied to "Vijesti".
They explained that on December 31st of last year, the road was not opened to regular traffic, but rather with strict observance of temporary traffic signs and special traffic conditions. They stated that controlled traffic flow was enabled through the construction site zone, "taking into account the importance of that road route for Mojkovac and northern Montenegro."
"After months of complete traffic closure on this extremely important road, upon completion of the main works, a decision was made to allow traffic to proceed in a construction site mode, with strict adherence to temporary traffic signs and special traffic conditions. The road was not opened to regular traffic, but instead controlled traffic flow was allowed through the construction site zone."
Public pressure to open the road to traffic was enormous. The owners of catering establishments and accommodation facilities suffered the most from the road closure, given that the road leads to Durmitor National Park.
Initially, at the beginning of the works, it was promised that the rehabilitation would be completed in a year, but later the Administration gave its word that the road would be open to traffic at the beginning of 2026, which they fulfilled, but only for a few days. The works included the rehabilitation of an unstable slope and the construction of a gallery about 400 meters long. The works were continuously slowed down by almost daily collapses of rocks and soil...
The road from Mojkovac to Đurđevića Tara is one of the most critical in the country, and since 2015, that section has never been officially opened.
Disbelief and pity
Locals and tourism workers connected to the road do not want to comment on the new situation. They say they will wait to see what the investors and contractors will do in the next few days.
Unofficially, they said that even after the landslide was removed, the ground was collapsing again.
They also say that after the works began, they suggested to the authorities that galleries on that section were not a good solution, but that a tunnel should be built, but that the investor did not take that suggestion into account.
Most people who know the terrain at all were incredulous at the intention to solve the problem of the extremely unstable slope in that part of the Tara River canyon by building a gallery...
For years, owners of tourist facilities have suffered enormous damage due to the road closure. This has led to a drastic drop in tourist numbers, mass cancellations of reservations and significant financial losses, threatening the survival of their businesses.
The Municipality of Mojkovac provided financial support to entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry during the summer of last year. The wage subsidies for employees, which lasted for six months in 2025, covered half of the taxes and contributions on the minimum wage, as well as half of the net minimum wage. Entrepreneurs and companies affected by the closure of the road were entitled to the subsidies, provided that their taxes were paid regularly.
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