“Gemidzii” Bridge in Veles was reopened for traffic today.

– The initially planned reopening of the bridge for traffic was for late August, but we completed the works a month earlier, stated Ljupco Georgievski, Director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads.

He emphasized that the bridge reconstruction would continue in the next two to three months, but without disrupting the traffic flow.
– Most of the works on the 170 meters long bridge have been completed. The bridge was fully scraped down to its bearing capacity structure, which was completely fortified, and is now stable. The bridge deck was then asphalted, and currently the fence is being painted, said Georgievski, adding that all the works have been done in high quality and in accordance with the design.
In the upcoming period, the repairing works on the lower part of the bridge will continue.
– Despite the initial plan for the reconstruction of “Gemidzii” Bridge to be completed at the beginning of 2015, the bridge will be fully repaired and put into operation by October this year, said Director Georgievski.

Construction of the first ever motorway in Eastern Macedonia has began. Foundation stone was laid today, near the settlement Tri Ceshmi, of the new 47 kilometers long motorway section Miladinovci – Sveti Nikole – Stip, in presence of the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski, Government Ministers, Ambassadors, Mayors…

– Today is a historic day for Eastern Macedonia. The implementation of the project that was long talked about has started, its construction begins today, here in Stip, following the construction of “Goce Delcev” university and the free economic zone, showing that VMRO-DPMNE keep their promises. February 2014 will be remembered as the date when construction of the first ever motorway in Eastern Macedonia has started, said Gruevski.
– The Government, he added, initiated the implementation of this project in 2007 by adopting the necessary documentation and looking for a concessionaire, but after several years of no success in that, in 2012 finally negotiations began with the Government of the People’s Republic of China for a favorable loan for the construction of Miladinovci – Stip Motorway.

– According to the Contract, minimum 49 percent of the construction works on this section will be executed by Macedonian companies, and at least 51 percent of the staff engaged by the contractor and subcontractors will be from Macedonia, said Gruevski, adding that the project is being realized with a 206 million Euros credit with favorable terms, i.e. 20 years repayment term, 5 years of grace period and 2 percent interest rate.
According to the Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski, the new motorway is of great economic importance for the whole country. It will enable fast communication and transport of goods from Eastern Macedonia, as well as improve the tourism development in the eastern part of the country, emphasized Pesevski.
Transport and Communications Minister Mile Janakieski stressed that the first motorway in Eastern Macedonia of 47 kilometers would connect that part of the country with the Capital city.
– The Election Program of VMRO-DPMNE for 2011-2015, page 65, reads that a motorway will be constructed from Skopje to Stip, i.e. a route from Miladinovci to Stip via Sveti Nikole, as a completely new solution for connecting the eastern part of the country to the Capital city. The road will be 27 meters wide, with two plus one (auxiliary) lane, said Janakieski.
The new motorway section will be constructed by the Chinese company “Sinohydro Corporation Limited”, with which the Government signed a contract last December.
According to H.E. Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Macedonia, Mr. Cui Zhiwei, the implementation of this project will provide the citizens of Eastern Macedonia with a modern and high-quality motorway.
“Sinohydro Corporation Limited” representative Mr. Zeng Xingiliang, stated that they, as a construction company, had been given a great responsibility.
– I would like to see this project successfully accomplished, and you having a modern motorway. Sinohydro will, therefore, make maximum efforts throughout the whole project implementation, he said.
The Director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads Ljupco Georgievski summarized that from 2012 construction had started of 132 kilometers of motorways throughout the country, meaning that in the next four years the country will have by 50 percent larger motorway network.
– This section will be 47 kilometers long and 27.4 meters wide. It will have dual carriageway, each 10.7 meters wide, and a six-meter wide median between them. Seven junctions will be constructed along this motorway section, serving as entrance and exit points to and from the cities and other settlements. The motorway section will also include eight overpasses, five underpasses, 154 meters long reinforced concrete bridge, and five viaducts of 718 meters total length, said Georgievski.
Source: MIA

The cities of Kicevo and Ohrid will be connected by a motorway, an investment 375 million Euros worth. The motorway will be 57 kilometers long and is expected to make the transport of passengers and goods easier and faster, and to contribute to the economic and tourist development.

The motorway construction activities were started today by laying the foundation stone near the village Izvor close to the city of Kicevo, in presence of the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Government Ministers, Ambassadors, Mayors…
– The investment for this capital project is estimated at about 375 million Euros, which makes it the biggest infrastructural investment in the last 50 years in Macedonia, said Prime Minister Gruevski.

– All the motorways built in the country in the last 50 years cost less than the Kicevo – Ohrid Motorway investment, he emphasized. That is the best description of this project’s value. Never and nobody before has made such a big investment in a motorway in the Republic of Macedonia, said Gruevski, pointing out that the financing was obtained with a particularly favorable loan of the EXIM Bank from the PR China.
According to the design, the new motorway will start at Kicevo, and via Podvis, Preseka and Pesochani arrive at Trebenishta. From there it will connect to Ohrid via Podmolje. It will be a two-lane, 25.2 meters wide motorway, with 6 overpasses and 13 underpasses, as well as a double tunnel Preseka. The construction contractor is the Chinese company “Sinohydro Corporation Limited”, and the works will begin simultaneously at three locations, and are planned to finish in four years. Several construction and other local companies will be included in the activities. According to the Contract, 51 percent of the staff engaged will be from Macedonia, i.e. from the municipalities in the surrounding area of the motorway.
The greatest benefit from the new motorway, according to the Prime Minister, will be the simpler, faster and safer communication among the settlements in the regions of Kicevo, Ohrid and Struga. “Equally important is the communication of the western region of the country with the capital Skopje and the rest of the Republic of Macedonia. One of the many contributions of this motorway’s construction will also be the economy’s dynamics during and after the motorway construction period. I expect the very beginning of the construction to open many new jobs in the construction companies that are contractors and subcontractors on this project, but also in many other companies which operations are related to civil engineering,” said Gruevski, adding that the motorway will be highly valuable for the free economic zones in Kicevo, Tetovo and Struga, for the tourism, and for the improved road safety.
Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski emphasized that the speed limit on the new motorway section will be 120 km/hour instead of the current 60 km/hour.
– This motorway section is extremely important as many citizens and tourists considered it a necessity, and considering that it leads to our most visited tourist place – Ohrid, stated Janakieski.
In four years, he added, with the construction of the motorway sections Miladinovci – Stip and Kicevo – Ohrid, as well as the motorway section Demir Kapija – Smokvica, where works are being executed in full swing, the Republic of Macedonia will be richer for new 132 kilometers of motorway network.
In addition, he announced that invitation for a concessionaire of the motorway sections Gostivar – Kicevo and Skopje – Blace is expected to be announced this year.