MOTORWAY SECTION KATLANOVO-VELES RECONSTRUCTED

The State Roads Agency will put into use Friday reconstructed section Katlanovo-Veles within motorway Alexander the Great.

The 16-month overhaul of the 27,5km-long section included investments of approximately EUR 7 million.

Construction company "Granit" completed the works.

The reconstructed 27km-long section Katlanovo-Veles, part of motorway Alexander the Great, was put into use on Friday.

The EUR 7,3 million investment is part of the Government project for infrastructure modernization in the country.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said section Katlanovo-Veles is one of the most frequent roads in Macedonia, reconstructed for the last time in 1985.

He announced that motorway section Veles-Skopje would be reconstructed in 2013, whereas the project on construction of highway Demir Kapija-Smokvica is ongoing.

"We will continue to build and allocate significant Budget funds for such capital projects", stressed PM Gruevski.

Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski stressed a project for overhaul of 13 bridges along Corridor 10 should be launched in 2013.

"European funds have been secured for rehabilitation of road Corridor 10 sections. Priority has been given to section Veles-Katlanovo, with reconstruction set to begin in the first half of 2013", added Janakieski.

Construction company "Granit" worked on section Katlanovo-Veles in the past 16 months.

HEAVY VEHICLES BANNED AT SEVERAL ROAD SECTIONS

Ban for heavy vehicles has been introduced early Wednesday at road sections Mavrovo-Debar, Gostivar-Kicevo, Debar-Struga, and mountain saddles Straza and Gjavato due to snow.

Flow of traffic on other motorways and regional roads is normal without any prohibition or restriction for all types of motor vehicles on wet lanes. There are snowfalls at mountain saddles Straza, Mavrovo, Preseka, Bukovo and Gjavato.

There are no delays in railway and airline traffic.

New highway for airport Alexander the Great put into use

"TAV Macedonia" has completed its EUR 100 million investment in Macedonia by putting into use a new interchange for airport "Alexander the Great" on Saturday, thus enabling easier access to the airport.

"We are encircling a significant project that is of enormous benefit for our citizens, since the airport's overhaul has resulted in interest by many low-cost airlines, whereas turnover has increased", said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski at the event.

Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski stressed the number of passengers at the Skopje-based airport vastly increased in 2011, whereas the trend has resumed this year.

"The number of passengers in the first quarter of 2012 has increased by 27 percent. I expect that subsidies for airlines will bring the number of passengers up to one million", said Janakieski.

The interchange investment was worth EUR 2,2 million, of which TAV provided EUR 1,5 million, whereas the remaining were allocated by the Government.

"TAV Macedonia" is the concessionaire of the Skopje and Ohrid airports for a period of 20 years

New Ilinden - Kalugerac highway opened

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski opened Saturday the reconstructed 19-km-long road section Ilinden-Kalugerac, which will improve the road inter-connection of the residents of Skopje settlements Kisela Voda, Ilinden and Sopiste.
The EUR2,3 million-project is part of the government's program for reconstruction of regional and local roads.
"The new government's program 2011-2015 attaches special attention to investing in new and reconstruction of a great number of existing roads, including Demir Kapija - Smokvica, Veles - Skopje, Skopje - Stip, Kumanovo - Kriva Palanka, Gostivar - Ohrid..., Gruevski said.State Road Agency Director Natasa Valkanovska said the project encompassed a reconstruction of 370 km of regional roads throughout Macedonia. The reconstruction of a total of 300 km has been already completed, she sad.Valkanovska also announced that in the next few months the agency would start preparing about 40 new projects for road construction and reconstruction, as well as for repairing the road signalization system across the country.