Italy interested in construction of Pančevo-Vršac highway that connects SCG and Romania ?

Possibility of construction of highway from Pančevo to Vršac, which would connect SCG and Romania, has been mentioned many times in public. The section is located on pan-European transportation corridor Timisoara-Vršac-Belgrade. The shortest way to Italy from that corridor is via port of Bar. Since Italy has about 15,000 companies in Romania, it is most interested in having land connection with Eastern Europe. Therefore, Europe is ready to support construction of Belgrade-south Adriatic highway on the condition that it connects to Romanian and Hungarian borders.

Republic Directorate for Roads announced international tender for reconstruction of Vršac-Pančevo road. The works are partially financed by European Investment Bank. The first 27 km, from Pančevo to Vladimirovci, has already been reconstructed in 2004. The plan is that the works on the section from Vladimirovci to Vršac, 37 km long, be finished in 2005. The contractor is ``Vojvodinaput`` that works together with its co-bidder on the tender - Italian company ``Adige Bitumi``.

Complete lane structure will be broadened on this road section, from 6 to 7.1 m, and entire road will be paved with two layers of asphalt.