Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR) to finance the construction works for the rehabilitation of a single two-lane carriageway road section, 13.5 km in length, between Kriva Palanka and Deve Bair near the Bulgarian border.
The Project Objective is to support N. Macedonia’s economic development and contribute to its regional integration by improving connectivity within its regions and between N. Macedonia and the EU.
The project is situated in the northeast part of N. Macedonia. Total length of the affected road is approximately 13km. The Project will primarily involve the widening of parts of the existing road, re-alignment of one short stretch, repair or replacement of some of the existing bridges, and the replacement of the asphalt and safety barriers for the entire stretch. Overall, the Project is expected to deliver a number of benefits:

• improved connectivity with the neighboring country Bulgaria;
• improved internal connectivity in the northeast part of the FYR Macedonia including improved facilitation of exchange of goods and services, better access for support of tourism, industry, agriculture etc.; and
• improved safety along the road.

An Elaborate for Environmental Protection (EEP) was prepared in accordance with national requirements and contains: information on the environmental & social characteristics of the area likely to be affected; environmental & social protection objectives for the area; likely environmental and social effects; measures to reduce offset and monitor adverse effects; and an assessment of alternatives.
The EEP has not identified any species and/or habitats of conservation importance to be impacted by the project. The project (and existing road) however intersects with a candidate Emerald Site for about 1 km, although for all except for 200 m of this, no road widening and/or land take is required. The 200m length within the proposed protected area involves the taking of a narrow 3.5 m wide strip of land immediately adjacent to the existing road, which is already significantly degraded.
Based on the determined impacts and the proposed measures from the Study, the Contractor engaged for the implementation of the project, prepared the Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), which defines measures for implementation in the road construction phase, which among others, includes a team of biology expert (from the Macedonian Biological Society – MBD), to additionally monitor the changes on the ground in relation to the habitats and the status with the fish stock and the otter, for which there are confirmed traces of presence in the area.
The monthly reports of MBD regarding the status with the state of nature are available at the following links:

• Report on the status of the otter here.
• Report on the state of the habitats and fish stock status here.
• Monthly Reports on the status of the biodiversity here
• Noise and Air Quality Monitoring Reports here
• Water Quality reports here
• Zero Monitoring Report here

Project description from EBRD site: https://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/projects/psd/kriva-palanka-bulgarian-border-road.html