Advisor appointed for Montenegro highway 16 Nov 2017

Contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation has appointed consulting engineer COWI as advisor for the main Smokovac-Uvac-Matesevo section of the 170km Bar-Boljare highway project in Montenegro, a new highway running north to south from the main sea port to the Serbian border and part of the trans-European highway.

Complex flysch bedrock provides challenges

Mountainous terrain led to demanding design and construction, especially as about 60% of the entire 41km route, including 16 twin tunnel sections, will comprise tunnels through complex flysch bedrock and bridges across valleys.

Expected to open in May 2019, the highway will play an important role in the development of tourism and drive Montenegro's economic growth.

Work has already started on the Moracica Bridge, a 960m-long viaduct that will carry the highway over the steep Moraca River Canyon, north of the capital Podgorica. For the tunnelling, on site geotechnical engineers from COWI will undertake advanced geological forecasting of rock mass conditions and interpretation of instrumentation and monitoring, to help with designing the primary tunnel lining support.

The construction contracts for the southern and northern sections of the Bar-Boljare highway are yet to be awarded.