Investments in road infrastructure and construction were top priority of the government in the past years. Proof for this is the large number of new or rehabilitated roads and construction of new facilities, said the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to the construction engineers from the Association for roads, which today celebrates 45 years of existence.
Congratulating the anniversary, the Prime Minister noted that as a result of the efforts of the Government in the period from 2006 to 2013 are built, rehabilitated or re-constructed over a thousand kilometers of roads. Out of these, 469 km of roads with total value of 92 million euro and 302 km of local roads worth 45 million euro.
The Prime Minister announced that in 2014 and 2015 is planned construction of new and reconstruction of 63 km of roads, worth 35 million euro, and the beginning of the realization of the three most crucial infrastructure projects in the country – construction of highways Demir Kapija-Smokvica, Miladinovci- Sveti Nikole – Shtip and Kichevo-Ohrid with total length of 132 kilometers and financial structure of 790 million euro.
- With the construction of these highways that are part of the Pan-European Corridors 8 and 10 and we are building European road map, which allows us to evaluate our central position in the Balkans. These three highways, along with other local and regional roads to be built and reconstructed in the period from 2014 to 2018, represent an investment of over one billion euro. Such investment wave in terms of road infrastructure has never happened in the country, said the Prime Minister Gruevski.
Referring to the importance of the construction industry and its impact on the economic development of the country, Gruevski said that the benefits of investment in road infrastructure are high because from one hand they offer job opening for many construction firms, on the other hand, good infrastructure is important for domestic and foreign investors.
- Good road infrastructure increases productivity and trade, create jobs, enables development of tourism and creates additional opportunities for economic growth. On the other hand, good road network promotes coherence of citizens, facilitate economic and social ties, and improves the overall life of citizens and freedom of movement and mobility, said Gruevski.
For plans, the Prime Minister announced construction and re-construction of local and regional roads and highways worth over one billion euro.