The civil movement URA claims that the construction of the loop on Smokovac could cost more than 30 million euros due to expropriation and that the Capital City and the competent ministry must therefore find an alternative solution.
Luka Rakčević, a member of the URA in the capital city, said that there are over 40 houses with auxiliary facilities at the construction site of the interchange in Smokovac, i.e. in Rogami, the hamlet of Rasi.
"There are over 30 hectares of arable land, over 5.000 vine roots, fig trees, business premises and it includes expropriation of huge fertile land, payment of lost profits", said Rakčević.
He pointed out that the URA will submit the initiative to the Assembly of the Capital City to send an invitation to the line ministry at the next session to open a dialogue to find a better solution, so that the interchange is not built in Rogami.
"The developer of the Spatial Urban Plan of Podgorica (PUP), as the highest planning document, presented an analysis of two possible locations - Smokovac and Strganica back in 2013. It was determined that building the interchange at Strganica would be an incomparably cheaper, more environmentally friendly solution, while the Belgrade-Bar highway route continued with the Dolovi-Gornje Mrka route. Construction on Strganica would have been as much as 37 million cheaper than the current offer, according to the then analysis of the PUP developer," said Rakčević.
He said that Strganica is almost uninhabited and neglected.
"Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to build the loop on Strganica, because the tunnel excavations are already at an advanced stage. Therefore, the Assembly of the Capital City must determine whose responsibility it is that the highest planning documents were not respected, which caused damage of tens of millions of euros". Rakcevic said.
He said that on the other hand, the construction of the interchange at Smokovac, i.e. the hamlet of Rasi, would lead to the permanent destruction of that beautiful part of Podgorica, which would represent a spatial reserve for any normal state and responsible city.
"While the construction of the Adriatic-Ionian highway may never happen, and therefore the need to build the interchange in Rogami in the existing dimensions, the relevant ministry did not even fulfill the legal obligation to prepare a strategic assessment of the impact on the environment. In addition to the increased risk of river pollution "Morač, the construction of the loop on Smokovac would create a permanent concrete obstacle to the flow of the north wind, which is the most important air purifier in Podgorica, and thus significantly worsen the micro-climate," said Rakčević.
He asked in whose interest it is that Podgorica, whose air is already heavily blocked, should suffer the fate of Pljevlja.
"URA demands that the Assembly of the Capital City submit a request to the competent ministry as soon as possible to find a better and more sustainable solution, even if it is of a temporary nature, in order to save Rogami from devastation and protect Podgorica. The mayor's irresponsible attitude is shameful ( Slavoljub) Stijepović towards the city's property and towards the citizens of Podgorica. Instead of protecting the city's interests, he sided with tycoons and failed one-off political projects by tacitly amining immeasurable damage. It is the right moment for the capital to protect the property with a firm and responsible attitude and call for dialogue to find a better solution", said Rakčević.
He emphasized that a whole series of experts, who worked on the PUP in 2013, estimated that the interchange at Strganica would be an incomparably better and cheaper solution.
As "Vijesti" previously wrote, in 2014 the local community of Rogami invited the then Minister of Transport Ivan Brajović to publicly announce the arguments and opinion of experts as to whether the location of Strganica, which is located above Roga, on the edge of Podgorica towards Piperi, is better for the future highway loop, or Smokovac, at the exit from Podgorica towards Kolašin.
Strganica is located on the territory of the Ministry of Health of Rogame, and according to some experts, it is a technically and financially more favorable solution than Smokovac, which the Ministry of Transport insists on.
"Smokovac is an unfeasible and unsustainable solution that we strongly oppose. It is not logical to build tunnels and three bridges from Ras to Gornji Mrko, through the narrow Morača canyon, through which the main road already passes, and on which the construction of the Zlatica hydropower plant is planned. This area, which is a reservoir of drinking water for the capital and which contains up to ten hectares of arable land on the coast of Morača, is being completely destroyed, leading to the emigration of the population from that location and ecologically endangering the life and survival of the surrounding settlements, and thus the capital itself ", announced from the Ministry of Health of Rogame.
The opinion of the residents of Rasa (Smokovac) that the interchange should be built at Strganica is supported by the three municipalities from Piper that gravitate to that area - Rogame, Đurkovići and Stijena Piperska.
"Petlja na Ras means the demolition of 42 buildings, displacement of the population, destruction of agricultural land, more expensive expropriation, more expensive construction of the highway from Ras to Gornji Mrko, greater air pollution due to the strong north wind and increased noise level due to the proximity of the city center, the highway and the railway. occupying and demolishing all buildings in the area of Rasa, building three bridges, occupying a good part of the area in Zlatica, this area is insufficient for development with a full program of connections, the experts who worked on this project determined," the Ministry of Health of Rogame announced at the time.
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