Work on the route is underway intensively - it is nearing completion, and some sections of the road have already been completed. In places where there were several meter-deep potholes last year, sections and sidewalks have now been paved.
Clouds of dust are overwhelming drivers, and machinery on the road and on the sides of it is constantly working. Columns of cars are occasionally "cut" by workers who are hurriedly crossing gravel or paved sections of the road. Some of them direct patient drivers and signal with their hands that it is safe to continue driving.
For more than two years, these scenes have been part of everyday life on the Adriatic Highway, from Budva - the capital of Montenegrin tourism - to the airport in Tivat.
The impression that the works are in full swing was gained by reporters from "Vijesti", who on Wednesday, for the second time in a year, visited the future 16-kilometer-long Adriatic Boulevard. The impression is that all the work can hardly be completed by the end of May, despite the promises of the authorities...
NO TRAFFIC JAMS
The situation on weekdays was similar to last year, so the team traveled 30 minutes each way, without major traffic congestion.
Machinery on the road, dust, as well as the entire work, as promised by the Minister of Maritime Affairs Filip Radulović, which also manages the work of the Ministry of Transport, will last until the end of May.
Radulović, during the session of the Parliament of Montenegro, said that four lanes of the Jaz - Tivat boulevard will be "under asphalt" by the end of May.
The Traffic Administration, meanwhile, announced that "in order to speed up work... a third shift is being introduced at the Jaz - Tivat construction site."
They said that organizing work in three shifts "creates conditions for intensifying the dynamics of work execution," so that the project "will be ready to meet the increased traffic intensity during the tourist season."
The reconstruction of the Adriatic Highway, from Jaz to Tivat Airport and Boulevard, is being carried out over a length of 16 kilometers. "Vijesti" previously wrote that the works began in January 2024, and the completion has been postponed. The contractor is the Chinese consortium Shandong Foreing Economic & Technical Cooperation Co. The value of the works is more than 54 million euros, excluding VAT, and the main local subcontractor is the Podgorica construction company "Bemax".
The Traffic Department previously announced that the boulevard will have two lanes in the direction of travel, sidewalks on both sides, and a two-meter median strip. They said that a new pipeline for the Regional Water Supply System will also be built along it...
DRIVERS WELCOME THE RENOVATION
The fact that work is being done on the new Adriatic Boulevard does not mean that, according to "Vijesti"'s interlocutors from the hospitality industry, the season will be jeopardized if there is good coordination between all stakeholders.
Last year's season, they say, somewhat fulfilled expectations, so caterers hope that this year tourists will find it easier to reach their desired destinations on the Montenegrin coast.
Unlike last June, when a large number of mechanization - tractors, excavators, trucks - were just "empty" obstacles on the road, this year's works were carried out at full intensity.
The machines, as Vijesti reporters noticed, were in constant operation, and the workers were spread out along the entire section. Only a few employees took a short break from their hard work.
However, the question is whether drivers, passengers, and tourists can rely on Radulović's promise that the four lanes will be completed by the end of May.
Driver Petar, whom reporters met near the Tivat airport, said that roadworks had previously made travel difficult for him.
"As someone who regularly travels from Podgorica to Boka Bay, both for business and private purposes, the slow construction work on the Jaz - Tivat Boulevard made it difficult for me to function normally. Fortunately, my colleagues discovered alternative routes that would allow us to avoid the construction work and the traffic jams in Radanovići. The dug-up roads not only caused traffic jams, but also posed a risk of damaging the car," he said.
He added that it is noticeable that the situation on the Adriatic Boulevard is currently significantly better, and that progress is more than visible:
"Work is in full swing, and I really hope that the promises will be fulfilled and that we will welcome the summer season with a functional boulevard."
On the way back to Podgorica, around 14 p.m., the “Vijesti” team noticed larger traffic jams. However, they did not slow down traffic, so the queues of up to fifteen cars did not pose a problem. However, this indicated more intense traffic during the hours when residents of nearby towns return from work.
Omar, another driver with whom reporters spoke on the way to Podgorica, pointed out that he was very glad that "the state is improving the road between Budva and Tivat."
He believes that this will be for the benefit of all coastal residents, as well as tourists visiting the coastal part of Montenegro.
"I think its construction has just been delayed a bit, and another problem could be that there are not enough signs on the road - for example, in which direction the cable car is...".
Although the work took a long time, Omar believes that it did not excessively limit the road's passability.
“I think the road was passable throughout its construction, which is very beneficial and reduces traffic problems. Overall, even though it takes a little longer to build, it is more important that the road is of the best possible quality for all road users.”
IN THE INTEREST OF TOURISM
The Association of Accommodation Providers of Montenegro also believes that the completion of the section will have an impact on the tourist season. Branka Džoganović, the director of that association, told "Vijesti" that the construction of the section affects "the accessibility of the destination, the flow of guests and the overall quality of the stay."
She pointed out that in the preparation for the season, infrastructure works "are not unknown", but that the way they are managed "can be crucial".
"The occupancy rate may be partially sensitive to such circumstances, but it does not have to be significantly jeopardized if there is good coordination of all involved actors and timely information to the public. For travel organizers and tourists themselves, information on the dynamics of the works, possible changes in the traffic regime, estimated dwell time and clearly defined alternative routes are particularly valuable. When such information is communicated continuously, on time and accurately, the room for negative surprises is significantly reduced, and the trust of guests remains preserved," said Džoganović, emphasizing that "the media play an extremely important role in this process."
President of the Hoteliers Association Nikola Pejovic He said that last season "somewhat fulfilled expectations", because "work was carried out on a key section of the road that connects half of the Montenegrin coast".
"Up to this point, progress has been made with the construction of most of the road, so we hope that this year tourists will be able to reach their destinations more easily. In a few years, we will have excellently connected roads in Boka and Budva, so this will definitely make movement easier, and therefore have a positive impact on future tourist seasons."
He hopes that the Maritime Minister's promise is not in vain, because it would be in the "interest of all of us."
"In the meantime, we all have to be patient, understand that this was not an easy job to do. This is a very busy section during the summer and winter, and there were other unplanned problems in the construction of the road. The important thing is that the work is completed and that everyone will be fine," said Pejović.
The Adriatic Highway runs along the Adriatic coast, is part of the European route E65 and was built about sixty years ago, when there were significantly fewer cars. Today, it is a very busy road, especially during the summer.
Airport almost empty
Although access to Tivat airport was difficult for the "Vijesti" team last year - both due to works on the roundabout and the long line of cars and buses, this was not the case this March.
There were almost no taxi drivers, and only a few tourists with suitcases and travel bags were hurrying towards the airport. It should be taken into account that the summer season has not yet started.
A 30-year-old American man, who spent several weeks in Budva, told reporters at "Vijesti" that the construction work did not particularly bother him. He assessed that such congestion was normal, adding that "everything is fine as long as there is functional traffic."
"Maybe it's different in the summer. To be honest, the works didn't bother me too much, I'm used to it at home. As long as the traffic is regular and there are no complete blockages and delays, I'd say everything is fine."
The third shift does not entail higher costs
Spokesperson for the Traffic Administration, Ivana Vučinić, emphasized that the introduction of the third shift "does not mean higher costs."
"Because by signing the contract, the contractor has committed to completing certain works within a certain period of time. It is up to him to adjust the dynamics of the works so that they are completed by the start of the summer tourist season...", she told TV Vijesti.
She emphasized that they are constantly insisting that the "main works be completed by the beginning of summer."
"We are thinking of four lanes. To have a road under asphalt, that is, all 16 kilometers."
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