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And the reconstructions of streets and squares, which began in Belgrade a few months ago, continue. In all cases, deadlines have been missed and many works have no end in sight. Such is the situation in Ulica cara Dušana, where construction began more than a year and a half ago. Several months of work continue in Sava Square, where the tallest and most expensive monument has been erected. While the city government is silent on the delays, experts warn that breaking the deadlines will only cost the city treasury more.
The second day of the new year also brought “nothing new” to Tsar Dusan Street. Culverts, excavated sidewalks and holes are still open. Although the street was opened to traffic, it is not yet known when the month-long works will be completed.
“I thought it would be for the end of the year, but it is not, they are still doing it thoroughly, very well.”
“Look how it looks, let’s jump over the holes and these wonders.”
N1: Do you know maybe when it will all end?
“Well, I don’t think anyone knows that.”
“And I know it started last year, and since it hasn’t ended by now, I have no idea, this is terrible.”
“You should hurry a bit, because people here go through catacombs, it’s a disaster,” said the people of Belgrade.
To avoid a catastrophe, Tsar Dusan Street, according to initial announcements from city leaders, should have been completed in December 2019, when the remaining three streets, the so-called “four boulevards”, would be completed. However, when it became clear that this was an impossible mission, a new promise was made.
“The important thing is that by the end, the street will be finished this year and finally four boulevards will be rebuilt,” Belgrade Deputy Mayor Goran Vesić said on August 28, 2020.
There were serious delays in the three previous sections – “four boulevards”, as well as in Karađorđeva street, where the works began in November 2018. And that until recently, the work is recognized in the city’s Investment Secretariat.
“During this year, the works were carried out at reduced capacity due to covid and the prescribed epidemiological measures that accompany them.” As announced, the plateau from Branko Bridge to Beton Hall was paved on September 1 and citizens were allowed to use this part of the promenade and the bike path was completed, which is now in use, “states the Secretariat.
However, Savski trg, which is located right next to the train station, is not ready to use yet. Because even though city leaders promised that reconstruction, which began in February 2020, would be completed in September, that did not happen. That is why they moved the new term to November. Despite that, the work was not completed even at the end of the year, so the workers are also in the field during the holidays.
Although it seems that he has a lot of work to do, the deputy mayor is bidding again with deadlines, and just the day that H1 asked him about the delays in the works, he promises that everything will be finished on January 25.
Experts: It is inadmissible that the work is not done by national companies
Experts say that it is unacceptable for domestic companies not to do business in Belgrade.
“From what I can see, jobs are still being issued to some foreign companies, wherever they appear, it is a big question mark whether the deadline and the quality of the jobs will be respected, and that ultimately raises very big cons and big doubts that interests, not profession, ”says Goran Rodić from the Chamber of Construction.
“So everything seems a bit disorganized, I really don’t know what is behind it, I asked my colleagues, civil engineers, who should know better than me and they are confused, they do not understand, because all these jobs are routine,” says the former municipal architect Djordje Bobić.
The city government did not keep the promise when it comes to moving the main bus station to New Belgrade. Although they said that the work would be finished by the end of 2020, the panorama from the field denies them, and citizens wonder what the relocation will bring.
“And that’s how crowded we are when we cross the bridges and then it will be really, really good.”
“I think it is much better, there is more space and it will be easier for the buses to get in and out.”
“Now imagine someone from Karaburma when he needs to travel somewhere, he needs to go to New Belgrade, how to get there, I think everything in the city is a disaster,” say citizens.
And why are deadlines being missed and who will be penalized for that, the other man in town, Goran Vesić, also did not answer H1’s questions this time. However, experts say that they have no dilemma and that the city treasury will feel a great inconvenience in the end due to all the backlogged work.
“Whenever you look at the agreed price for that job and what we say is the end of the situation, it is hidden that sometimes the price is two or three times higher than the agreed price,” says Goran Rodić.
