Tidying up the streets in Podgorica: In the wider center it took a while, the outskirts are not visited

The strict center of Podgorica, unpaved streets, sidewalks, traffic jams, lines of cars, nervous drivers are everyday life in the capital.

While the authorities from the Capital City claim that it is about necessary works and infrastructure development, citizens, road users, state that it makes their lives miserable and that traffic jams take up their time.

"There are big crowds in the city center, sidewalks are being built in Novaka Miloševa Street, the other part of Hercegovačka is closed. In our country, it is enough for one street to be dug up and there will be chaos. I can imagine what it will be like when the rains start, and the works are not finished", said one of the taxi drivers to "Vijesta".

However, what bothers many more is that the works are not completed within the stipulated time.

The reconstruction of a part of Novak Miloševa Street was supposed to be completed on October 29, but judging by the situation on the ground, it will take a few more days.

The reconstruction began on October 12, and a few days ago the renovation of the 4. July Street was completed, which Mayor Ivan Vuković and his colleagues visited on October 29.

The works in 4. July Street were supposed to be completed in 15 working days, counting from August 17, when the works started.

"I really don't know why they needed to do so much work on the street. They started work, and then it happened that there were no workers at the construction site for days," Radovan Popović told "Vijesta".

Certain parts of the city are neglected, such as Murtovina, Zlatica, Tološ - where the ruling structure has no foothold

As it was announced from the capital earlier, that work was done by the teams of the city company "Roads", and it is a frequent road that has been in an unsatisfactory condition for a long time.

"The works, the value of which is around 180.000 euros, will last 15 working days", stated the PG bureau.

However, they did not answer "Vijesti" why the works took so long.

"A few days ago, they painted the signage on the road, they did it during the day, I think that's also wrong, the crowds were big. "Previously, painting was done at night, and in the later hours, precisely to avoid crowds," says Popović.

In the press release of the PG Bureau dated October 29, it is stated that Vuković and his associates visited the completed "work on the thorough rehabilitation of Bracan Bracanović, July 4 and Filip Lainović streets in Zabjelo.

"We are talking about very frequent roads in this part of the city, which have been in a bad condition for a long time. The value of the mentioned works, including the activities of other commercial companies of the Capital City, which were realized in the previous period in this area, amounts to 642.000 euros".

The mayor thanked his colleagues from city companies, first and foremost "Roads", for the "extraordinary job done".

"Gradsko Zelenilo recently planted a row of trees with over 4 adult saplings in 100. July Street, while colleagues from the Housing Agency renovated the facades of six nearby buildings, and at the same time, the Municipal Services teams started modernizing public lighting in the surrounding neighborhoods. and works on the construction of a children's playground in 4. Jula Street are ongoing. As a result of all these activities, we can say that this part of the city has completely changed its face", pointed out Vuković, reminding that over a period of three years, more than seven million euros were invested in projects on Zabjelo, "which speaks volumes for the commitment of the city administration, when it comes to this part of the city".

"Roads" are currently rehabilitating the sidewalk next to the Central Park in Pobrežje, on the stretch from the intersection with Ulica Bracana Bracanovića to the intersection with Bulevar Sava Kovačevića, and the value of the works will be around 23.000 euros.

Several readers of "Vijesti" complained about the problems at the Vezir bridge, stating that on the first day of the opening of the street to traffic, several accidents were recorded at that location

From the capital, they stated that Kralja Nikola Street was recently reconstructed in a length of one kilometer, and with the completion of the works on that road, they claim, the road infrastructure in this part of Podgorica will be significantly improved as well.

Member of the Democratic Front, i.e. one of the constituents of that political bloc from the Movement for Change, Marija Marović believes that apart from delays in infrastructure works, which, as she said, are being initiated for pre-election purposes before the upcoming elections in Podgorica, the problem is that certain parts of the city are neglected at the expense of others, where the ruling majority at the local level in Podgorica has support.

"There are other projects that are delayed, for example the completion of works on the City Theatre, it is tragic for both the citizens and the actors themselves, who dedicated their future to this work, that the building has not yet been completed. We have the example of Brskutska street, next to the cemetery in Zagorič, which is in a catastrophic state, there is no sidewalk, it is risky to pass there, especially someone with a stroller with a baby, he cannot take shelter", says Marović.

She pointed out that certain parts of the city have been neglected, such as Murtovina, Zlatica, Tološ, that is, where the ruling structure has no foothold.

"Certain locations in the city where the lighting does not work, when you come to a situation to report, they say that the light bulbs do not fall under the Capital, there is a company that does it, so you have to wait a month for them to do it. This is the case with the street next to the 'Dr Dragiša Ivanović' school in Zlatica, the lighting has not been working for some time, and a couple of locals have called to report the problem," adds Marović.

Vuković announced that after the reconstruction of Bokeška Street was completed, the arrangement of the second part of Hercegovačka Street began. The works started in July, the deadline for completion is 180 days, that is, at the beginning of next year, and the value is 472,644 euros.

He stated that a tender has been announced for the reconstruction of the remaining part of Njegoševa Street, and if there is no problem with the tender, it is realistic that the works will start in October.

The location where the works are delayed a lot is Buda Tomovića Street. This work, started in December last year, was supposed to be completed in March of this year.

Residents of the part of the settlement under Gorica, near the Vezir Bridge, where the construction of a street with parking has been going on for years, as well as drivers, complain that there is now traffic chaos at that location.

The new street, which was recently finally completed, leads to the intersection near the bridge, which further creates congestion at the already busy intersection.

"The traffic lights at this intersection were turned off a long time ago, for better traffic flow. That was, I think, a good solution, but now they have turned on the traffic lights, they are not coordinated, and a new street has also been added. It's real chaos," says Miomir Pejović.

Several readers of "Vijesti" complained about the problems at the Vezir bridge, stating that on the first day of the opening of the street to traffic, several accidents were recorded at that location.

Marović pointed out that she is in favor of improving the city and that she is not one of the councilors who will criticize everything, that there are things that are also good.

"The arrangement of the parks is commendable, it must be emphasized. But makeup alone is not enough. We have the example of the residents of Botun, the way of treating a certain group, which lives there, is, to say the least, discriminatory. An agreement should be reached, every citizen should be equal".