March 25 (SeeNews) - Montenegro plans to open for traffic in May the Smokovac-Matesevo section of a motorway linking the port city of Bar to the Serbian border, economy minister Jakov Milatovic said.
"In May, we will put the highway into operation," Milatovic said, as seen in a video file posted on his Twitter profile on Thursday.
In January, capital investments minister Mladen Bojanic said the government hopes to start the construction of the Bar-Smokovac and Matesevo-Boljare sections of the motorway by the end of 2022.
The Smokovac-Metesevo section featuring 18 tunnels, 13 bridges, five viaducts, and four interchanges, is being built by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The original deadline for the completion of the project was September but according to Montenegrin media reports, the Chinese company has requested an extension due to the coronavirus crisis. A total of 1,080 workers were hired for works on the project, including 460 Chinese citizens.