Old Sava Bridge to Remain Until Next Spring – To Comprise “Small Subway” with Future Tunnel, According to Sapic

The Old Sava Bridge will not be removed until the project for the tunnel from the Faculty of Economics to Despota Stefana Blvd is completed, stated the mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Sapic, as reported by Beoinfo.

He pointed out that the project for the New Sava Bridge was practically completed, but that that project was now being merged with the project of the construction of the tunnel, which would integrate the traffic routes from Zorana Djindjica Blvd and Mihajla Pupina Blvd in New Belgrade all the way to Slanacki Put Street.

He reminded that, at that moment, there were works on the expansion of Visnjicka Street in Karaburma.

– We can safely call this section from New Belgrade to Slanacki Put Street a “small subway”, because it will take less time to go through the New Sava Bridge, the tunnel and the expanded Visnjicka Street than through the future subway line – the mayor said.

He pointed out that all the competent services had been deployed so that the integrated project would be accelerated in the next few months, of course, with the approval of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, which is the financier of the project and the construction of the tunnel.

– The Old Sava Bridge is to remain until further notice. According to the experts’ projections, we believe that as soon as next spring, maybe next summer, we will start the realization of the integrated project of the construction of the new bridge and the tunnel. As an integrated project, it would be completed at the same time and we would thereby essentially change the traffic architecture of the city. Experts point out that it is the biggest traffic project in our capital city in the past 50 years, because its realization will reduce pollution in the capital city by around 14% and traffic jams by up to 12% in the city center – Sapic said.

Sapic visited the site where Zorana Djindjica Blvd was being extended, from Milentija Popovica Street to Vladimira Popovica Street, and emphasized on that occasion that the traffic at the Usce Shopping Center, and with that the whole of New Belgrade, would thereby be unloaded, as it is the biggest bottleneck in the rush hour.

– In the extension of Zorana Djindjica Blvd, we will get three lanes on each side. The idea is to, after that, or maybe at the same time, expand the boulevard itself with a lane on each side, so that we then get three lanes on each side from the intersection of Omladinskih Brigada Street and Zorana Djindjica Blvd which merge into Vladimira Popovica Blvd. That would ease the traffic by a lot for the entire New Belgrade – the mayor said.

An analysis of all New Belgrade boulevards is being done at the moment and, where there’s room, there will be expansions by a lane on each side, as he said, according to the principle used for Visnjicka Street.

– We will work on the expansion of boulevards not just in New Belgrade, but in all parts of the city. There’s plenty of room where one or two lanes could be added, which would practically become an autonomous part of the street for public transport vehicles – Sapic pointed out.

He said that the completion of the works on the extension of Zorana Djindjica Blvd was expected in the autumn, without specifying the date, and emphasized on that occasion that, in the preceding year, the works had not been late almost anywhere and that they had even been done before the deadline.

Sapic said that the planning of a temporary traffic route had already begun, whose completion would allow the citizens to cross to the old part of the city, go down Zorana Djindjica Blvd, then to the left in Valdimira Popovica Blvd and right to Mihajla Pupina Blvd and the Railroad Bridge.

– We will try to establish a temporary road through the Minel factory, whose facilities we are currently tearing down, and the citizens will thereby be able to reach Branko’s Bridge. This will be completed by next spring at the latest – Sapic said.

Grad Beograd

Old Sava Bridge

New Sava Bridge

tunnel from the Faculty of Economics to Despota Stefana Blvd

Zorana Djindjica Blvd Belgrade

Milentija Popovica Street Belgrade

Vladimira Popovica Street Belgrade

tunnel construction

expansion of Visnjicka Street

small subway