Bechtel and joint venture partner ENKA today celebrated the opening of an additional 30 km of the Morava Corridor Motorway, which connects the cities of Kruševac and Vrnjačka Banja. The Morava Corridor Motorway, a 112-km dual highway designed for speeds up to 130 km/h, runs along the West Morava River valley, strategically connecting central Serbia to Pan-European Corridors 10 and 11.
Bechtel-ENKA Morava Corridor Motorway team
This new section completes roughly 50% of the 112-km project and is estimated to reduce travel times by half, which will accelerate the flow of people and goods, resulting in economic growth and increased investment.
“This is the best highway in Serbia, and I am proud because it will mean more jobs and more investment for our country.” said Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian President at the opening event.
The motorway is not only a catalyst for economic growth, but also an opportunity for local communities to develop new skills and grow their businesses. More specifically, roughly 40% of the project’s four thousand employees are Serbian, and Bechtel has awarded 80% of its subcontracts and purchase orders to Serbian companies.
“With each new section opening, the Morava Motorway is transforming lives for thousands of Serbians,” said Darren Mort, President of Bechtel’s Infrastructure business. “As we’ve seen around the world, making travel safer and more efficient enhances wellbeing, boosts productivity and supports local economies. This milestone adds to what has been a very exciting year for the Bechtel-ENKA team, having recently won international awards on this project for environmental stewardship, global program management and financing.”
Bechtel’s Balkans General Manager, Chris Jennions, reflected on today’s milestone in a new blog on bechtel.com.
Some key highlights of the Morava Motorway, include:
- It will be Serbia’s first digital highway, featuring a fiber optic cable alongside the road to enhance traffic management.
- The motorway incorporates a robust floodwater defense system, designed to protect local communities from flooding challenges that have plagued the region for centuries.
- It will provide access to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia and includes 12 interchanges, 79 bridges, 27 overpasses, 11 underpasses, 140 culverts, 37 km of river regulation and 28 km of dikes.
Bechtel has a long history in Central and Eastern Europe, having built almost 700 km of motorways in the region, including Croatia, Albania, Kosovo and Romania. This infrastructure has transformed connectivity, security and economic growth throughout the Balkans region.
Learn more about how Bechtel is connecting communities across the world at bechtel.com.
About ENKA
Founded in 1957, ENKA İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş. (ENKA) is a leading global engineering and construction company based in İstanbul, Türkiye. With its subsidiaries, ENKA provides services in the sectors including Engineering and Construction (including Fabrication); Power Generation; Real Estate Management; Trade (including Software Development).
Over the past 67 years, ENKA has fully maintained its strong competitive position in both international and local markets in every sector in which it operates while simultaneously putting into practice its vision of “stable and determined growth through value creation with stakeholders.” All over the world, ENKA projects are contributing to higher living standards and a safer, greener, fairer future.
ENKA with its subsidiaries has become the trusted partners of public and private sectors on six continents, helping them implement a great number of projects from initial planning through to start-up and operations, and serving a range of markets through four global business units: Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals; Power Plants; Infrastructure; and Building Works. www.enka.com
