Bar-Boljare highway, connecting Smokovac and Mateševo, will be opened during this summer season, said Andrija Mihailović from Monteput, adding that the testing of equipment and all electrical installations is currently in the final stage.
He stated that the installed systems were manufactured in accordance with European directives and global standards.
“We are all eagerly awaiting the opening of the highway, but we must not open it until all systems have been tested and until they produce satisfactory results related to safety,” Mihailović said.
Speaking about the highway, he said that a contract has been signed for the purchase of 10 snowplows for maintenance needs, and that they also have two specialized vehicles that will be used for winter and summer maintenance.
There are also two fire trucks specialized for work in tunnels, and two smaller vehicles that will be used for the needs of the fire service.
This will help ensure the functioning of traffic on the priority section built on challenging terrain.
“On 42 km we have 16 tunnels with two tunnel tubes, meaning a total of almost 32 tunnels. The longest of them is almost three kilometers — Vjeternik. There are many challenging tunnels on this route, one or two kilometers long, as well as more than 20 bridges,” Mihailović noted.
The entire route is covered by more than 560 cameras, which will be monitored by operators in the Command Center.
“All cameras in the tunnels have the ability to automatically detect incidents. As soon as one of the incidents is detected, whether it is the wrong direction, a stopped vehicle in the tunnel, smoke or fire, or the appearance of an unnatural object in the tunnel, it is automatically recorded on the cameras in the command center with an audible alarm that will be registered by the duty operator in the center. So the most modern systems have been installed,” Mihailović says.
Andrija Mihailović stated that Monteput is very satisfied with all the work done and the cooperation with contractors, and they have been visited by numerous delegations, as well as the Chinese ambassador, since the main contractor is the Chinese company CRBC. The site was also visited by representatives of the Government of Montenegro, other delegations and officials, as well as suppliers.
“Everyone had the general impression that such a facility is unique in the region, if not beyond,” Mihailović concluded.