Montenegro’s road infrastructure company Monteput expects to launch or continue work on at least five road sections in 2027, general director Milan Ljiljanić said. The Adriatic-Ionian motorway through Montenegro has an initial estimated value of about 2.7 billion euros and could be completed around 2035, while the goal is to start construction on all its sections in the country by 2030.
The five sections are Mateševo–Andrijevica, the Budva bypass, Smokovac–Tološi, the Bar bypass and Čevo–Krivošije. Monteput is preparing project documentation for about 127 kilometres of the corridor. Its wider priority is a functional network of around 170 kilometres of motorways linking Andrijevica with Lastva Grbaljska and the Port of Bar.
Potential funding options for the corridor include support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), loan arrangements, interstate agreements and public-private partnerships. The EBRD is also involved in reviewing applications for the Smokovac–Tološi project.
Projects in preparation
A construction contract for Smokovac–Tološi, part of the Podgorica bypass, is expected by mid-2027. The project is estimated to cost about 240 million euros, with a planned delivery period of three years. The approximately 10.5-kilometre section attracted applications from 22 companies from Europe, China, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait and India.
A Monteput commission is reviewing the applications with consultants and EBRD representatives. Ljiljanić said the competition could help secure a lower final price. Domestic companies did not lead the bids, but could participate in consortia. The route is intended to allow traffic travelling from the north towards Cetinje and Budva to bypass central Podgorica.
The project includes connections at Smokovac and Tološi, as well as the possibility of an access road to the old Podgorica–Spuž road. It also includes a tunnel of about 700 metres, while tunnels and bridges together would account for around 30% of the route. An environmental and social impact assessment is being prepared under international standards, with its findings to be incorporated into the main design.
The Bar bypass, the Virpazar–Zaljevo section, is a priority on the corridor. Its preliminary design for the approximately 23-kilometre route is due by the end of this year. The plan includes the roughly six-kilometre Sutorman tunnel and several other tunnels and bridges; together, tunnels and bridges would make up more than 70% of the route.
The bypass is intended to improve connections to the Port of Bar and address seasonal congestion in the Bar area and on approaches to the Sozina tunnel. Route planning also involves work on its effects on the environment and residents, in communication with the Municipality of Bar and local communities.
Construction timelines and traffic
On Mateševo–Andrijevica, completion is planned for 2031 and the main design is progressing according to schedule. Geological field work is expected to begin in the next ten days after initial approvals, with more intensive work on site expected from spring 2027. The contractor is preparing worker camps and expects some equipment from China.
Monteput is also working with local communities and municipalities on details of the Mateševo–Andrijevica route, including an additional connection in the Komovi area. Documentation is being prepared for the motorway’s continuation from Andrijevica towards Boljare, with implementation dependent on securing funding.
Preparations are under way for the Budva bypass between Markovići and Lastva Grbaljska, including final route definition, the main design and construction-site organisation. Its four-year delivery period has begun, and land expropriation is nearing completion. About 70% of the route is planned through tunnels and over bridges, with no demolition of existing residential buildings planned.
The Čevo–Krivošije road would connect the Cetinje–Čevo direction with the Grahovo–Lipci road, shortening travel towards the Bay of Kotor and Herceg Novi. A memorandum of understanding for its development has been signed with a French company, and a public-private partnership is among the possible delivery models. The route is intended to connect with a planned Herceg Novi bypass from Krivošije towards Igalo, whose alignment is in its final planning stage and is expected to be presented to the public soon.
The broader network plan links the sections with the Bar–Boljare motorway and routes towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Serbia. The new roads will not be available for the next tourist season, so congestion in Budva, Bar and around the Sozina tunnel will need to be managed through organisational measures while construction proceeds.
Monteput says the share of users paying tolls electronically has exceeded 40%. Drivers can register using their vehicle registration plates without a TAG device, and Ljiljanić urged motorists to use electronic toll payment to pass through toll centres more quickly.
