The residents of Ravna Rijeka are outraged that the main road between Bijelo Polje and Mojkovac, from Ribarevina to Slijepac Bridge, has been dug up and left in poor condition, while construction machinery has been withdrawn from the construction site, and that a sidewalk is not being built for a section of that road.
The contractor is the Štrabag - Bemaks consortium, and locals have announced protests because of everything.
This section is part of the Lepenac-Ribarevine-Poda-Berane road reconstruction project, worth 36 million euros, excluding VAT, whose construction began in August 2023 with a construction deadline of two years. This is the largest reconstruction in terms of length, where about 40 kilometers are being reconstructed at once, and similar problems with the destroyed road have been pointed out by locals towards Berane, where reconstruction is underway.
Similar problems with the construction of lighting and pedestrian paths were experienced by the residents of Zaton and Pod, who, after several protests and blockades, managed to get the Municipality to prepare a project for the construction of sidewalks with lighting, during the ongoing reconstruction of the Bijelo Polje - Berane main road, which is part of that large project.
The problem in Ravna Rijeka was pointed out by the acting president of the Ravna Rijeka Local Community. Gojko Nedović, who claims that the Traffic Administration is to blame for this situation.
The Traffic Administration told "Vijesti" that, according to the Roads Law, the Municipality is responsible for everything that goes along the roads and that they forwarded the locals' letter about the need to build sidewalks to the Municipality of BIJELO POLJE back in February, warning that given that this is an international contract signed in accordance with EIB standards, excessive delay in the continuation of the works due to the investor's fault also entails the possibility of penalties being charged by the contractor.
The Municipality of Bijelo Polje pointed out that they already have a finished project, but are waiting for its revision.
Nedović said that locals are outraged that the road is covered with dirt in some sections, where a large number of potholes have formed due to the rain, and that the pressing problem is that the construction of sidewalks, which is necessary for the safety of all road users, was not planned.
"We submitted a request to the Traffic Administration two months ago for the construction of a pedestrian path and lighting on that section, but to date we have not received a response," he said.
Citizens of the "Ravna Rijeka" local community explain that during the reconstruction of the Bijelo Polje - Ribarevine road, a pedestrian path and lighting were built, which was not planned from Ribarevine to the Slijepač bridge.
"Citizens believe that they have been unfairly harmed and that they are being treated as second-class citizens or politically unsuitable citizens," said Nedović.
The Municipality emphasized that they are aware of the importance of solving the problem on the Ribarevine - Slijepac most road section, and that the Municipality, as in previous cases in the local communities of Zaton and Poda, will take the necessary steps to reach a sustainable solution in cooperation with the Traffic Administration.
"The sidewalk construction project on the stretch from Ribarevina to Ravna Rijeka has already been completed, but it is necessary to revise it in order to comply with current technical and infrastructural conditions. Also, the Municipality has already initiated the preparation of project documentation for sidewalks and public lighting on the stretch from Ravna Rijeka to Slijepač most, and the completion of this project is expected in the coming period," the Secretary of the Secretariat for Investments told "Vijesti". Mensur Hajdarpašić.
He emphasized that this is an infrastructurally complex undertaking, given that the area of the planned sidewalks contains water supply installations, power cables, and telecommunications infrastructure, which requires their relocation prior to construction.
"That is precisely why resolving this issue requires detailed planning and inter-institutional cooperation. The municipality remains committed to finding a solution and we believe that, through constructive dialogue and coordination with the Traffic Directorate, we will find a model that will enable the implementation of this project in the interest of all citizens," said Hajdarpašić.
Bonus video:
