An official ceremony took place yesterday to mark the inauguration of the first section of the highway Nis-Merdare in the Republic of Serbia, also known as the “Peace Highway”, one of the flagship projects within the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, and an important step for peace and reconciliation in the region.
The event counted on the participation of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, the Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union, H.E. Mr. Emanuele Giaufret, the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Mr. Goran Vesić, the Minister for European Integration, Prof. Dr. Tanja Miščević, the General Director of Corridors of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Antić, the Director for Construction at Corridors of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Senić, as well as representatives of the contractor, Strabag, and of the supervising engineer, a Joint Venture led by IRD Engineering.
The Nis-Merdare motorway will be 77 km in length and will have 88 bridges, 7 level crossings and 35 tunnels. Its construction is co-financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), while the European Union is providing generous investment grants through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).
Back in 2021, a Joint Venture led by IRD Engineering signed an EIB-funded contract for the provision of construction supervision services on behalf of the Employer, the Public Enterprise Koridori Srbije, for all the works contracts in the section Merosina – Beloljin, and assuming all the duties and obligations of the Engineer as defined by FIDIC Conditions of Contract.
This first section has been completed in time and within budget thanks to the excellent work from all the involved parties. From IRD Engineering, we would like to thank all of them and, very specially, to our staff and partners.
If at any time you have any questions or want to give us your feedback, please e-mail us at info@irdeng.com
