President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, visited the final stages of construction on the bridge over the Mlava River in Petrovac na Mlavi.
President Vučić stated that the bridge had been assembled expeditiously, setting a new benchmark, and serves as a critical infrastructure asset for the entire region. He emphasized that the bridge boasts a width of 12.5 meters and that the expenses incurred during its construction amount to one and a half million euros.
Vučić acknowledged the significance of attending to the deteriorating state of the road, alongside the bridge.
“The problem is that something stands there for years, without repair, and then it needs to be repaired. Some say that this is a small bridge, but its price was one and a half million euros. This is a question of our attitude. to people, for them it is important. This whole bridge that you see was demolished, and in three months they built a completely new bridge. The priority is the construction of a bridge in Kuchevo, as it connects us with Maidanpek. There is also this road in Kostolac, which is in a terrible state. You have to check it out,” he said.
He also observed a growing presence of foreign individuals in the construction industry, particularly individuals of Indian origin.
Vučić stated that there is an increasing presence of foreign individuals within the construction industry. The workload has intensified while the number of available workers has diminished. Primarily originating from India, Turkey, and Bangladesh, these individuals face considerable challenges in relocating to Serbia. Their diligent efforts entail working tirelessly around the clock to accomplish their tasks.
He further stated that the state attentively considered the input of the citizens, resulting in the timely completion of the bridge within a span of three months.
“I have learned a few lessons from this. First, we have companies that can build bridges quickly and safely. But I also learned that we cannot isolate ourselves and sit in our offices; we have to go to the people, hear what they say. and see what they want. Thank you for the lesson you taught us,” Vucic said.
He indicated that there is still ongoing work to repair the landslide, and he emphasized that significant progress has been made in recent years to address this issue in the area.
“Everything we have done is important, it seems to me that many new and reconstructed roads have been built. The work is proceeding according to plan from the beginning of the highway to Pozharevac. They will continue along the Danube highway, and it will be important to get to Požarevac as quickly as possible. Let’s see what else we can do to attract investors,” he said.
During his address, Vučić expressed his utmost desire for Petrovac to repatriate individuals who have migrated abroad. Although acknowledging that life elsewhere may not be entirely idyllic, he emphasized that those individuals still enjoy a superior standard of living compared to the residents of Petrovac. Nevertheless, he highlighted the ongoing efforts to narrow this disparity and asserted that their return would pave the way for numerous collaborative accomplishments. Vučić concluded his remarks by expressing gratitude to all for their tremendous support.
In response to a media inquiry, he stated that he does not construct monuments for his own recognition, but rather for the benefit of the public. Furthermore, he expressed his belief that there is no wrongdoing in taking pride in the accomplishments achieved during his term.
The bridge, which was constructed over half a century ago, was deemed unsafe in June of the previous year owing to its severely deteriorated state, consequently resulting in its closure to both vehicular and pedestrian passage.
The bridge remained inaccessible and closed for a duration of one year, as the municipality was unable to secure adequate funds for the demolition and subsequent construction of a replacement bridge.
Following the proactive efforts of President Vučić and his meeting with the mayor of Petrovac na Mlavi, funding was successfully obtained, leading to the commencement of the construction of a novel bridge spanning 190 meters in length in May of the current year.
The construction of the bridge is within the purview of the public enterprise “Roads of Serbia,” which also serves as the project’s investor, with a total worth of 155.5 million dinars. The construction activities are being undertaken by PZP Požarevac.
