The state-owned corporation “Monteput” has allocated 137 million euros for this year, comprising 105 million from the state capital budget and 32 million generated from its revenues in 2025 and profits from previous years.

This funding will facilitate the commencement of construction on the second section of the highway connecting Mateševo to Andrijevica (though it remains uncertain if the new tender will be completed this year). It will also be used for preparing documentation across various phases for 21 highway and expressway sections and subsections, alongside the operation and maintenance of the “Sozina” tunnel and the existing Podgorica-Mateševo highway segment.

This information is derived from the company’s work plan for 2025, which has received government approval. This plan was formulated and approved prior to requests from the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the cancellation of the pre-qualification tender aimed at selecting the builder for the Mateševo-Andrijevica highway segment.

Unofficially, the government has indicated that a new tender will be announced by the end of February, open to all without pre-qualification criteria. By that time, “Monteput” aims to finish the documentation preparation process for the remaining road sections.

Each highway and expressway section is designed in three phases: conceptual design, conceptual design and main design, along with revisions for the design documentation during each phase. The search for designers for these phases occurs through the public procurement system. However, due to frequent complaints and the reiteration of procedures, it is challenging to determine when any of these design documents will be finalized and consequently due for payment.

Last year, public procurement concluded, and contracts were established for the design of conceptual plans for expressways spanning the Bay of Kotor, Smokovac-Božaj, Danilovgrad-Nikšić, and Crnča-Pljevlja-border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside the conceptual design for the Andrijevica-Čakor highway segment, as well as the conceptual design for the intersection of the Bar-Boljare highway with the Adriatic-Ionian highway. “Monteput” anticipates that these conceptual designs will be finalized this year, at which point payments will be made.

Cost of 11 Conceptual Designs: 1.2 Million Euros

This year, “Monteput” plans to initiate the development of 11 conceptual designs from its revenues, estimating the total cost at 1.4 million euros.

The conceptual designs will include sections from the Andrijevica-Čakor, Virpazar-Sukobin, Čevo-border with Bosnia and Herzegovina highways, as well as the intersection of the Bar-Boljare and Adriatic-Ionian highways. Other designs will pertain to expressways crossing the Bay of Kotor, Danilovgrad-Nikšić, Smokovac-Božaj, Nikšić-Pljevlja, Podgorica-Danilovgrad, and the regional road Rijeka Crnojevića-Virpazar.

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This year, they expect to collect one million euros from tolls for the Sozina tunnel, approximately half a million euros more than last year. From the Podgorica-Mateševo highway section, they anticipate 11.6 million euros in tolls, which is about 600 thousand euros more than the previous year.

This year, “Monteput” plans to allocate five million euros from the capital budget for the development of preliminary designs for the Stari Bar-Sukobin highway section, along with preliminary designs for the Markovići-Lastva Grbaljska, Lastva Grbaljska-Debeli Brijeg, Crnča-Pljevlja, Nikšić-Pljevlja, and the coastal road junction-Markovići. The total estimated cost for these projects is 25 million euros, with expectations of receiving five million for payment this year.

Funding for Expert Committees: 7.5 Million Euros

From the company’s profits from 2021 to 2024, totaling 5.5 million euros, there are plans to initiate or fund the development of preliminary designs for segments of the Adriatic-Ionian highway Podgorica-Grahovo and Grahovo-border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, preliminary designs for the expressways Pljevlja-border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Smokovac-Božaj, the preliminary design for the Andrijevica-Čakor highway, as well as preliminary and main designs for the Danilovgrad-Nikšić expressway. The development of these six project documents is estimated to cost approximately 17.8 million euros, with expected payments amounting to 1.78 million euros this year.

To ensure the effective monitoring of all project documents through their various phases, expert committees must be established. The total estimated cost for these committees throughout the documentation preparation period is around 7.5 million euros, financed by “Monteput’s” profits from past and future years. Of this, it is expected that 2.9 million euros will be due for collection this year.

The total cost for the revision of all these project documents is estimated at seven million euros, which will be paid over the coming years as the documents are completed.

Minor Increase in Toll Revenue

“Monteput” anticipates collecting 13.1 million euros from tolls for the Sozina tunnel this year, reflecting a rise of approximately half a million euros compared to last year. From tolls collected on the Podgorica-Mateševo highway section, they expect to accrue 11.6 million euros, which indicates an increase of around 600 thousand euros from last year.

This year, they also expect to earn 881 thousand euros from advertising billboard rentals, base station land leases, and other revenue, consistent with last year’s figures.

A total of 5.5 million euros has been transferred from retained earnings from previous years, while an additional 1.3 million euros has been received from tax refunds. The government has also approved another five million euros for project documentation preparation, along with an anticipated one hundred million euros to initiate construction on the second highway section from Mateševo to Andrijevica.

For investment and ongoing maintenance of the “Sozina” tunnel and the existing highway segment, a budget of 11.8 million euros is planned, which will also cover the procurement of fixed assets.

The budget allocates 4.8 million euros for consumables, services, and utility bills, while 5.3 million euros is required for repaying loans to the EIB (utilized for the “Sozina” construction) and the IRF, along with 7.2 million euros designated for gross salaries.

Growing Need for Additional Workers Due to New Projects and Absences

The “Monteput” report indicates there were 310 permanent and temporary employees on their payroll as of December, including three board members and three audit committee members.

“Salaries and employee incomes are aligned with the anticipated workload, considering staffing needs, especially given that most sectors operate 24-hour shifts for toll collection, traffic monitoring, and rescue operations in the Sozina tunnel and on the highway,” the report notes.

Due to new highway and expressway project preparations, the company anticipates needing to hire a number of engineers. Additionally, to account for frequent sick leave and other absences in protection, rescue, maintenance, and toll collection services—which operate continuously—they plan to recruit 20 seasonal workers for an average of five months each year.

The projected expenditure for gross earnings this year is set at 7.2 million euros, representing an increase of approximately 800 thousand euros compared to last year.

Profit of 5.4 Million Euros; Highway Installment at 70 Million Euros

A preliminary report on “Monteput’s” business operations for last year indicates total revenues of 25.3 million euros, with operating expenses amounting to 19.9 million euros. Thus, the preliminary business outcome for 2024 shows a profit of 5.4 million euros.

“The final business result will be finalized following the preparation of the annual financial statements for 2024. The presented data indicates that a favorable business result was achieved during the past period, laying the groundwork for successfully fulfilling all planned obligations in the upcoming period,” the report states.

Annually, around 70 million euros are required for repaying the loan for the highway section construction from Podgorica to Mateševo, funded by the state budget, while total revenue from this segment was 11 million euros.

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