Deputy President of the Municipality of Pozega, Vladan Kovacevic and representatives of the United Nations Office for Project Services visited the reconstruction works on the bridge over the River Dobrinjska along the II B category state road between Pozega and Kosjeric. The European Union has allocated EUR74,000 from the EU Assistance for Flood Relief in Serbia Programme for the reconstruction of a 95-meter-long bridge, which was at risk of collapsing after the May 2014 floods.
The reconstruction works kicked off in November 2016 and included the rehabilitation of the concrete structure of the bridge and abutments, the placing of a new layer of concrete, the replacement of the bearing and riverbed dredging. The full-scale reconstruction of the bridge will facilitate flood relief and increase safety of pedestrian, who will soon be able to cross the bridge unimpeded thanks to the newly built pedestrian walkways. The reconstruction of the bridge will be completed in August 2017.
“The reconstruction was made possible thanks to an EU grant, as part of the project aimed at rehabilitation of road infrastructure after the floods, worth EUR10.5 million,” said project manager Bojan Kovacevic and underscored that the works were well underway and at the final stage.
The works on the bridge are being carried out under the project implemented by UNOPS in 23 local self-governments, in which 44 landslides will be rehabilitated, nine bridges reconstructed and five new bridges built, with a view to reconstructing and improving preventive infrastructure. In Pozega, being one of the project beneficiaries, the landslide rehabilitation project, worth EUR67.000, was also completed in May 2017. By building gabion walls and drainage canals and by stabilising the slope, the risk of emergence of a new landslide near the Cestobrodica settlement, on the II A category state road between Pozega and Gornji Milanovac, has been reduced.
“EU assistance in bridge and landslide rehabilitation means a lot to people in Pozega, as we have faced serious problems with torrential floods. Such interventions are among numerous forms of excellent cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union, especially bearing in mind that Serbia is on its path towards the European Union and its aspirations toward becoming an EU member,” said Vladan Kovacević, Deputy President of Pozega Municipality, and thanked the European Union and UNOPS for their support.
The European Union is the biggest donor for flood relief and strengthening of flood prevention in Serbia, having allocated EUR162 from its IPA 2012 and 2014 funds and through the EU Solidarity Fund.
EU Assistance for Flood Relief in Serbia Programme worth EUR102 million, is funded by the European Union from its pre-accession IPA 2012 and 2014 funds. The funds are aimed at construction and reconstruction of houses, reconstruction of public buildings, rehabilitation of roads, landslides and public infrastructure, revival of economy and agricultural production as well as the construction of flood prevention infrastructure in 57 most affected municipalities. All field activities are implemented by seven partner organisations – the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), organisations Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe (Help), Arbeiter-Samariter- Bund (ASB), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the World Bank.
