A schematic rendering of the Matesevo-Andrijevica highway project in Montenegro. Photo: Courtesy of POWERCHINA Chengdu

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Matesevo-Andrijevica highway project in Montenegro was held in Kolasin on Friday of local time, marking the start of construction on the country's largest infrastructure project currently under way, the Global Times learned from POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited on Monday.

The highway, also known as the MA highway project, is a key section of Montenegro's Bar-Boljare Highway. With a main line of about 22 kilometers, the project is being built by a consortium comprising Power Construction Corporation of China, Ltd, STECOL Corporation and POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited (POWERCHINA Chengdu) 

Designed in accordance with European standards and local Montenegrin regulations, the highway will have a designed speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The route includes dozens of bridges, two tunnels and one service area, with a high bridge-and-tunnel ratio and complex geological conditions.

The project will take 14 months for design and 46 months for construction, with a total project period of five years.

A project representative from POWERCHINA Chengdu said the company will strictly follow Montenegrin regulations and European standards, while giving equal priority to safety, quality and green construction throughout the process. The team will also respond scientifically to complex geological challenges and coordinate bridge and tunnel construction to ensure the project is completed on schedule and to high standards.

Once completed, the highway is expected to shorten travel time from the capital Podgorica to Andrijevica to 38 minutes, significantly improving transport convenience for residents in the Lim River Valley and northern Montenegro while boosting economic development along the route.

The launch of the project also creates a platform for trilateral cooperation among China, Montenegro and European financial institutions, highlighting the vitality of multilateral collaboration, according to the company.

The project will incorporate green development principles throughout construction, with ecological protection, health and safety management and construction work advanced in tandem. It aims to become an environmentally friendly and socially harmonious demonstration project for sustainable development.

Global Times