A joint agreement on the construction of the Belgrade metro between the Serbian government, the City of Belgrade, the Chinese company Powerchina and the French company Alstom will be signed on January 22, Finance Minister Sinisa Mali told Tanjug, and Construction Minister Tomislav Momirovic expects the first works to begin in the third quarter of this year.
In a statement for Tanjug, Momirovic says that it is still early to give deadlines, and whether, according to some estimates, the first metro line in Belgrade, from Makisko polje to Mirijevo, could be finished in three years from the beginning of works.
Minister of Finance Mali says that a large number of visits of our experts to France and their Serbia, who are already working on the subway project, are expected in February.
He also points out that the French Alstom is already working on models and specifications that are related to the entire subway system.
“We are working on preparing the necessary documentation, a detailed regulation plan for Makisko polje was recently adopted, so we are working on all those aspects to get a building permit by the end of the year in order to start works on Makisko polje,” Mali said in a statement for Tanjug.
He adds that a large depot will be built on that place, and from there, he says, the construction of the first metro line will start, which will go through Belgrade on the water, the city center and Karaburma to Mirijevo.
The second line, he reminds, will go from Mirijevo to New Belgrade and Zemun.
He points out that the subway project is one of the most important infrastructure projects for 2021, which, he repeats, will start by the end of the year.
Mali adds that a lot has been done in the past period to prepare for the start of the construction of the subway, but that these were mostly “things invisible to the citizens”.
He adds that these were feasibility studies, a project for the construction of a rail system, a detailed regulation plan, a general regulation plan…
He also points out that ten days ago, the interstate agreement on the realization of infrastructure projects with France was ratified, which was signed on November 26, 2020.
The value of the agreement is 581 million euros, of which 127 million euros are intended to improve the efficiency of the electricity distribution network, while 454 will be invested in the construction of the first metro line.
Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Tomislav Momirovic points out for Tanjug that the subway project is the most complex that Serbia has had in previous decades.
“It is something completely new for Belgrade and Serbia, many people are engaged in that project, the construction of which will begin in 2021, as we promised the citizens,” said Momirovic.
He expects, he says, that the first works on Makisko polje will start in the third quarter.
He adds that this is a project that requires a longer period of time to be completed, but he expects that the first line will be able to be completed in three years from the beginning of the works on Makis.
However, he points out that the construction of the subway is a new experience for Serbia, and there is some reservations about the deadlines.
Regarding the French-Chinese cooperation on that project, Momirovic says that the most optimal solution was sought, because, he points out, the Chinese can be partners in the execution of works because they are the cheapest in that regard, and they can also give favorable investment loans.
On the other hand, he adds, the French will give the “brain of the system” because they are very successful in that area.
“We are working on pairing them in an efficient and optimal way,” Momirovic concluded, RTV reports.
