Chinese firm to build highway in southeast Europe

PODGORICA - A Chinese company will follow the highest European Union (EU) standards to build in Montenegro the best highway in Southeast Europe, said Montenegrin Transport Minister Ivan Brajovic.

Early July, the Montenegrin government announced that Chinese Communications Construction Company (CCCC), and its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) will build the first 41 km section of the planned Bar Boljare highway, connecting the north and south of the mountainous Adriatic country.

"Highway Bar Boljare is considered to be one of the most important and valuable projects in recent history of Montenegro," Brajovic told Xinhua.

Over the past eight months, Brajovic said, his ministry had negotiations with potential partners, from China, Turkey, the United States, Canada, Poland, Italy, and Germany.

"What was important to us, is that we have a partner that can deliver this project in time, a respectable company with experience in projects of such scale and importance, and with financial offer which could be sustainable for our state budget," he said.

The minister said his visits to China were helpful in making the choice.

"If everything goes as planed, we expect that actual work on the field shall start before the end of this year," Brajovic said.

"I visited China in 2003, 2006 and 2011 and I was the witness of immense progress Chinese constructors are making at home and abroad, so I am convinced that they can overcome any professional problem, and deliver final product within TEM (Trans European Motorway) standards," he said.

According to the Montenegrin government, the CCCC and the CRBC proposed to build the section of the highway in 48 months at a price of 809 million euros ($1.07 billion).

Brajovic said that it is by far the hardest and most valuable section of the whole highway project, as more than half of the 41 km section will be tunnels and bridges.

"For this reason it would mean much more than just a highway, as we will make secure one of the most dangerous parts of the road through Moraca river gorge, enhance economic progress along the road, but most of all, help to integrate the north and south of Montenegro," Brajovic said.