Significant progress has been made on the Beljakovce–Kriva Palanka railway section (34 km), part of the strategic Rail Corridor VIII linking Skopje with Sofia. Today, the Contractor GÜLERMAK Ağır Sanayi İnşaat ve Taahhüt A.Ş. successfully completed the breakthrough of Tunnel 15, an important milestone for the project.
The IRD Engineering team, acting as the Engineer under the 1999 FIDIC Red Book, was present on site to review and certify the executed works, ensuring full compliance with contractual and technical requirements.
Work continues steadily on all 15 tunnels along this section. In the coming weeks, Tunnel 13—the last remaining one—will also reach breakthrough, meaning that all tunnels will be fully opened, with several already progressing toward completion of their final lining.
IRD Engineering is working collaboratively with the Employer, the Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure – Railways of the Republic of North Macedonia (PEMRI), and with the Contractor to ensure the timely and high-quality completion of this important railway investment.
This milestone follows the successful completion in January 2025 of the Kumanovo–Beljakovce railway section (31 km), where IRD Engineering served as the Engineer and STRABAG as the Contractor, delivering the works within the contractual timeframe.
We are pleased to witness continuous advancement on Rail Corridor VIII, a key trans-European route connecting the Black Sea to the Ionian Sea, and contributing to enhanced regional connectivity and sustainable transport development.