Since the beginning of the year, on several occasions, it has been mentioned, more or less shyly, that they will start digging a tunnel that will connect the roads from the Faculty of Economics to Bulevar despot Stefana. Although the project was on a long "stick", the mayor did not hide his ambitions. The start of the works was first delayed in the first half of April, so that they finally became visible on April 21. Then pompously, with a greater dose of euphoria and inspired words than we are used to, and with a promise that Belgrade will be less crowded than today, Mayor Aleksandar Šapić marked the start of work on the construction of the tunnel: "From tomorrow there is no turning back for this project, preparatory work for the future tunnel will begin."
The idea of reducing congestion and relieving traffic sounds good, but the citizens of Belgrade have a long and uncertain road ahead of them. The two-kilometer tunnel will take at least three years to complete, which requires an additional dose of patience, which is already on the verge of breaking. The tunnel, or "small subway", as the city government christened it - not because of the connection with underground traffic, but because of the speed with which it reaches its destination - is another test for the current government. Can the City realize the project, meet the deadlines and the financial structure?
WHAT IS DIGGING IN THE CENTER AND WHERE IT CANNOT BE DONE ANYMORE
In the spirit of glorifying the project, the mayor did not hide his delight at the fact that digging is starting, which should be completed in three or four years. However, there is a long way to go. At this moment, as a hint that Šapić's dream could come true, the beginning of preparatory works is visible - Jovana Avakumović Street, in the immediate vicinity of the police station in Bulevar Despota Stefana, is closed to traffic. The cars that flowed from the Boulevard, as well as the public transport buses lines 33 and 48 that used to travel there, can no longer pass. The works also marked the end of the route for passenger cars that used to go along the former Boulevard on November 29 from the direction of the Pancevačko bridge towards the city center. From now on, you can only go there by public transport. In the opposite direction, traffic is still passable, but the congestion is greater than before. Meanwhile, the city claims that there are alternatives.
"Traffic on this section will, of course, be reduced. Only public transport will go through Despot Stefana Boulevard, and we have provided a detour through Poenkaerova Street to Cvijićeva, from where vehicles return. We have 'cleaned' that passage of illegally parked vehicles and there will be two lanes in each direction, until vehicles can return to Despot Stefana again," said Šapić.
Once again, there was a lack of timely communication with the citizens, so the tenants of Jovan Avakumović only received an announcement a few days before the start of the works that their cars would be removed if they did not move them themselves. Instead of the City providing them with clear notices and the necessary information, citizens are forced to navigate with "sticks and ropes". Considering the scope of the aforementioned works, Dušan Milanović, a traffic engineer and retired planner of the Belgrade Urban Institute, has no doubt that the City had to inform the citizens in a timely and complete manner.
"We can easily conclude how the city administration works. Nothing is transparent. Usually, such works are announced months in order for the citizens to prepare. However, nothing happened. The surrounding tenants and other citizens should have been informed much earlier that the works would take place. But, you saw for yourself how it all looked in the previous period", the "Vremena" interlocutor points out.
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WORKS HAVE STARTED - WHAT NEXT?
With a lack of media preparation and an excess of organizational noise, the long-delayed works have nevertheless begun. If any of the citizens try to pass through that part of the capital, they will notice the signage that directs traffic towards Poincaré Street, closer to the Danube, and greater congestion in the surrounding streets. Major works, visible to the "naked" eye of the intending traveler, cannot be noticed yet - currently only preparatory works are underway, which will last for ten months.
"This phase of the works includes the relocation of the infrastructure, the creation of so-called new bypasses, the securing and digging of the canal in which the machine is to be placed. We heard from the city manager Miroslav Čučković that it will last almost a year. These are big works, you know. You never know what you will come across in the geological sense. You have to enter the underground of Belgrade. You will enter from the side of the Pančevački bridge, through the corridor of Despot Stefan, after which the works will proceed at their own pace. This is a serious project and not we should forget that decades ago traffic analyzes of the effects of such a project were carried out in order to reduce congestion", explains Milanović, a staff member with many years of experience in planning.
THE DEMOLITIONS ARE (OPET) INEVITABLE
For now, it is known that the exit or entrance of the tunnel on the side of the Danube slope is planned near the MUP building in Bulevar despota Stefan, i.e. near the intersection with Jovana Avakumovića Street. On the other side of the city, on the Sava slope, the entrance and exit to the tunnel will be located in the extension of the old Sava bridge. A larger bridge is being built at Savski's place, which the mayor, admittedly without wider support for the godfather, wants to christen the New Serbian Bridge.
According to announcements, the length of the tunnel is about two kilometers. Two tunnel tubes are planned, each with two traffic lanes, which descend from Luka Ćelovića Park towards the opening on the Sava slope. While the passage of pedestrians through the tunnel is not planned, the introduction of bus lines that will pass through it has been announced.
It was also announced that the existing infrastructure in the central part of the city will be changed and that this will directly affect the tenants in the area between Lomina and Gavrila Princip Street. The report shows that 3.500 existing residential buildings and 4.550 commercial square meters will be demolished. 54 apartments will be removed, and 162 citizens will be displaced. Therefore, it will be necessary to expropriate the property in order for the citizens to receive some kind of compensation. Changes are also planned when it comes to public areas, so Luka Ćelovića Park, in front of the Faculty of Economics, will be reduced and divided into two parts.
WHAT WILL A TUNNEL DO TO BELGRADE?
An analysis of the use of cars in the capital of Serbia has long established that a large part of vehicles enter the narrowest central zone in order to reach the other side of the city, creating huge crowds visible to the naked eye of every average resident.
"Today, if you want to get to Ovča, Borča or Pancevo from the New Belgrade side, you have to go through the center of Belgrade. From the south side, if you want to go to Palilula or the Danube bank, you have to go through the center, through Knez Miloš. Over 30% of the vehicles that enter the central zone have their destination outside the center, so they go to Mirijevo, Višnjica, Borča, Ovča. All roads lead in that direction and you have to relieve that part of the traffic because the structure of traffic has changed significantly compared to previous decades", assesses Milanović for "Vreme".
When the first cars see the light at the end of the new tunnel, the crowd should be less in Kneza Miloša Street, Despot Stefana Boulevard, Republic Square and the rest of the wider city center. It is estimated that traffic will be relieved by 10-20 percent, and the goal is to reduce traffic in the city center, through which many citizens have to pass in order to reach their destination. Today it is possible only by using the BG train.
Traffic engineer Milanović also points to the ecological aspects of this solution. "There are huge congestions, our vehicle fleet is very old, we do not drive new cars. All in all, it is a very demanding and complicated project that is not being done ", evaluates Milanović for "Vreme".
THE PRICE OF THE WORK IS GREATER THAN 200 MILLION, CONTRACTORS - THE CHINESE
His financial plan confirms that this is not a project that can be completed in just a few weeks. According to official data and government estimates, the construction of the tunnel should cost around 239 million euros. The largest part of the works will be paid for with funds from a loan of 213 million euros that the state received from Poštanska Štedionica at the beginning of last year.
Initial estimates of the value of the investments ranged roughly between 100 and 150 million euros. However, in the revision of the Fiscal Strategy for 2026 to 2028, it is stated that the total value of the project is 26 billion dinars, i.e. 220 million euros. It can already be seen that there are differences in the statements of officials regarding the price, so it would not be surprising if the value is "pumped up" to the end by several tens of millions of euros.
The information about the company chosen as the contractor is also not negligible. In question is the Chinese giant "Power China", with which the contract was initialed in 2023. More careful followers of the construction situation in the country will recognize this contractor, bearing in mind that the just-mentioned company is engaged in the Expo projects, the construction of the subway, the National Stadium and the ring road around Belgrade, which are projects of significant economic but also political importance for the local government.
FORCED TO ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION
When it comes to the "small metro" project, "Power China" has already drawn public attention to itself by illegally - without the necessary permits - starting preparatory work. Months ago, near the Danube, closer to Ada Huja, there was an illegal construction site, a camp that serves as a technical base for the construction of the tunnel. Although permission for this construction site was not given by the City Secretariat for Construction Affairs, nor by the competent ministry, work on it did not stop for a single moment. This was confirmed by the Chinese partners, who said in a statement to Insider that they were "forced to do so in order to meet all the deadlines". This was practically confirmed to the general public during the mayor's last press conference, when it was established that even he himself did not know that all the necessary permits did not exist.
Due to the project's confidentiality clause, the project contract signed with the state is not available to the public, nor is it possible to obtain information about who the subcontractors are on the project. Previous practice has shown that sensitive and glamorous projects hire a huge number of subcontractors, which obscures responsibility, but raises the price of the works.
TUNNEL OR "SMALL METRO"- A CHANCE FOR BELGRADE
Engineers and representatives of other related professions agree that Belgrade needs such a traffic flywheel. However, the question arises whether the current government has the capacity to finish what was started. Nikola Jovanović, director of the Center for Local Self-Government, has no doubt that the need for such a tunnel has existed for decades, but he openly doubts that everything can be completed by the prescribed deadline.
"The bridge-tunnel project needs to be completed, because a bridge without a tunnel is not profitable. I think the tunnel cannot be completed before 2031, and the same applies to the first metro line. It can be done at the same time, but we could have finished a lot so far. We should not have entered into projects like Expo and the construction of the national stadium until the metro and the bridge-tunnel are finished. The government's idea was to start digging before the parliamentary elections, and to finish one metro line, a bridge and "One pipe in the tunnel. They will only be able to finish the bridge, but without the tunnel it does not have a full function", said the interviewee of "Vremen".
Commenting on the financial construction of the project, Jovanović claims that financing from interstate agreements is not good, but that Belgrade's public finances are about to collapse. Traffic will also be a challenge. "The traffic organization is concerned when the real works on the tunnel and the subway begin. The city of Belgrade is desperately organized, something has to change," Jovanović concludes for "Vreme".
