The Municipality of Tivat’s management is firmly against the conceptual design for a high-speed highway project spanning the hinterland from Herceg Novi to Budva, developed by “Građevinski Institut Makedonija” AD.

A proposed route includes constructing a bridge from Zelenika to Luštica, after which the highway would proceed across the Luštica peninsula towards Grbalj. This proposal has drawn significant opposition from Tivat’s municipal leaders, as well as the local community in Krtol, through which the expressway corridor would pass. They view this proposed alternative as highly detrimental to the local community and the sensitive environment of the Boka Kotorska region.

According to recent announcements by Tivat’s local administration, municipal leaders held a meeting last week with representatives from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, Monteput, and all local communities affected by the expressway from Budva to Herceg Novi, via Luštica.

The purpose of the meeting was to gather information on the project’s current status through direct communication between the Municipality, the Ministry, and Monteput, the company responsible for financing the conceptual design. The meeting aimed to express the local administration’s and citizens’ stance on the highway issue directly.

“We learned of the high-speed road plan through Luštica during the Public Hearing on the Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro, where it was presented as an alternative. At that time, we clearly rejected it, supporting our opposition with various arguments,” stated Jovan Brinić, the Vice President of the Municipality of Tivat, adding that this viewpoint had backing from professional planners who were present at the public hearing and involved in drafting the document.

“Despite evident opposition, the process of formalizing this plan initiated with the development of the expressway’s conceptual design, without direct communication and public engagement,” Brinić emphasized, asserting that locals are against this development, which would irreversibly impact the areas of Krtole, Luštica, and Grbalj.

“We support an alternative solution that entails a segment of the Adriatic-Ionian Road route, constructed inland from Boka Bay, which would have special access roads to towns within the bay. Furthermore, we endorse the solution for connections to the prospective boulevard in Lastva Grbaljska towards Brajići,” he stated.

The Spatial Plan of Montenegro must resolve the long-standing traffic issues, but alternative solutions like the currently proposed corridor, noted in past planning documents, should be avoided due to their adverse effects on the area—this is the stance of the Secretariat for Spatial Planning of Option Tivat.

“The route proposal, which includes a tunnel covering a significant portion through Krašići, is indeed less destructive than earlier suggestions. However, upon considering all aspects, especially social implications, we believe it is impractical. Part of the route lies within residential and environmental zones and cannot be constructed without incurring negative effects and spatial conflicts. It’s noteworthy that the Tivat municipality area was identified as a ‘buffer’ zone according to the heritage impact assessment for the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of Kotor (HIA). Furthermore, regarding the bridge linking Zelenika and Luštica, we still lack the UNESCO advisory mission’s assessment of the potential negative impact on the integrity and visual identity of the cultural landscape of Boka Kotorska,” the secretariat indicated.

They question the rationale behind planning a transit corridor for high-speed motor traffic within such a spatially limited area of Tivat municipality, which spans only 46 square kilometers.

Representatives from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, led by Minister Slaven Radunović (Nova), were absent from the meeting.

In attendance were the Mayor of the Municipality, Željko Komnenović; Vice President Jovan Brinić; President of the Tivat Municipal Assembly, Miljan Marković; Municipality Manager Ivona Petrović; Secretary for Spatial Planning Milica Manojlović; Monteput Director Milan Ljiljanić and his associates; and representatives from the local communities of Krtola, Krašić, and Grbalj.

The proposed conceptual solution for the expressway through Luštica and Krtol marks yet another chapter in the ongoing tensions between Tivat’s local administration and the government led by Slaven Radunović. This conflict has escalated since the ministry neglected the drafting process of the new Spatial and Urban Plan of Tivat, which began several years ago, and has continued the pattern of disregarding local interests and positions in state location studies concerning the coastal area, the Program of Temporary Facilities in the Coastal Zone, and management of beaches and swimming areas.

Brinić: It’s outrageous to “force” a highway and expressway into the most densely populated region of the country

Brinić expressed to “Vijesti” that it is “simply astonishing” that Monteput and the designers of the conceptual expressway thought to “force” this busy new road into the Boka Bay area, which, alongside Podgorica, is the most densely populated region in Montenegro.

“We already face significant spatial challenges in Boka Bay with a large resident population, and the influx of tourists during the summer is substantial. It is sheer madness that someone considers constructing a high-speed road through such a confined and sensitive area that is crucial for the country’s economy due to its substantial contribution to overall GDP through tourism. There are vast, untapped areas in the hinterland, such as Krivošije and Cuce, so highways could be built there, enabling connections with coastal cities without compromising the future viability for a normal life and development while directly threatening local interests,” Brinić remarked.

He further stated that the authors of the Spatial Plan of Montenegro had also advocated for the future high-speed coastal road being routed along the hinterland of Boka Bay, rather than through its heart, as proposed by the conceptual design developed for Monteput by “Građevinski Institut Makedonija” AD.

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