The Bar–Boljare Motorway in Numbers: 165 km of Montenegro’s Largest Infrastructure Project
The Montenegrin A-1 Bar–Boljare motorway is not just a construction project, but a strategic backbone of the national transport system. Once completed, it will stretch for approximately 165 kilometers, connecting the port of Bar on the Adriatic coast ...
The Montenegrin A-1 highway “Bar–Boljare” is not just a construction project, but a strategic backbone of the national transport system. Once completed, it will stretch for approximately 165 kilometers, connecting the port of Bar on the Adriatic coast with the Serbian border, where the road will link to Serbian highway A2 and далее to Central Europe.
The opening of the first section Smokovac–Mateševo in July 2022 gave Montenegro a modern route that significantly reduces travel time between the north and the center of the country. However, this is only the beginning – the remaining stages will determine the project’s full economic and logistical impact.
Smokovac–Mateševo section: The most difficult part is already complete
The first completed section, with a length of 41 kilometers turned out to be the most technically challenging because of the terrain and the large number of engineering structures. It includes:
20 tunnels with a total length of about 15 kilometers
20 bridges and viaducts, including the impressive Moračica Bridge (960 meters long, 175 meters high supports)
Speed limit: 100 km/h (lower in tunnels and on difficult curves)
The cost of constructing this section is estimated at approximately 810 million euros, financed through a Chinese loan and the state budget.
As of 2024, the average daily traffic here was between 8,000 and 12,000 vehicles, with sharp peaks during the tourist season.
What’s next: planned sections and timelines
Mateševo–Andrijevica (≈23 km)
Status: contract preparation and contractor selection
Planned start of works: 2025
Features: complex bridges and viaducts, route through the Lim canyon
Andrijevica–Boljare (≈50 km)
Status: in planning documentation
Key section for connection with Serbia
Expected travel time from Podgorica to the border after completion: less than 2 hours (instead of the current 4–5)
Southern branch to Bar
Connection of the port of Bar with A-1
Plan: a shared corridor with the future Adriatic-Ionian highway via Dobra Župa/Gradać
Advantage: protection of Skadar Lake National Park by abandoning the Smokovac–Tuzi–Božaj route
Change in the Adriatic-Ionian corridor plan
Montenegro’s new Spatial Plan for Development up to 2040 has significantly changed the scheme for connecting to the Adriatic-Ionian highway. Instead of the previous route via Tuzi to Albania, a connection to A-1 is now planned in the Crmnica area, followed by a joint route to Bar.
From Bar, the route will continue toward Ulcinj and cross the border into Albania at Sukobin.
This decision has two key advantages:
It reduces the environmental burden on Skadar Lake.
It strengthens the role of the port of Bar as the main transport hub.
Economic impact
Reduction in transit time: Transporting a container from Belgrade to Bar will be reduced from 11–12 hours to about 6–7 hours.
Cost savings: According to the Ministry of Transport, transport costs per ton of cargo will fall by 15–20%.
Port of Bar: Potential growth in annual cargo turnover from the current ~2 million tons to more than 4 million tons within 5 years after the completion of A-1.
Construction sector: During the construction phases of the second and third stages, around 3,000 workers are expected to be employed directly and another 5,000 indirectly.
Impact on tourism
The highway will open up the north of the country, rich in national parks (Durmitor, Biogradska Gora), mountain resorts (Kolašin, Žabljak) and cultural landmarks, to tourists from the coast and abroad.
Faster and safer travel will extend the tourist season and create conditions for the development of winter tourism. According to the National Tourism Organization, the number of overnight stays in northern municipalities could double within 10 years after the project is completed.
Road safety and the environment
According to studies from 2021 and 2023:
A modern highway can reduce the number of traffic accidents on the Podgorica–Kolašin route by 50%.
A more even traffic flow will reduce CO₂ emissions per vehicle by up to 30% compared with the current main road, provided there is proper maintenance and traffic management.
Financial challenges and financing models
Construction of the remaining part of A-1 is estimated to require an additional 1.5–2 billion euros. The following options are being considered:
Loans from international financial institutions (EBRD, EIB)
Concessions and public-private partnership (PPP)
Phased construction taking budget capacity into account
The experience of the first phase shows that realistic deadlines, transparent tenders, and strict cost control are important.
Conclusion: a road that connects more than geography
The Bar–Boljare highway is not just a transport project. It is a strategic initiative that is expected to change Montenegro’s economic map, strengthen regional integration, and open new prospects for tourism, logistics, and trade.
Once completed, the country will gain a fast and safe connection between the Adriatic and Central Europe, and the port of Bar will be able to claim the status of the main cargo hub of Southeast Europe.
Until then, what remains is to finish what has been started – kilometer by kilometer, tunnel by tunnel, bridge by bridge – with a clear understanding that every new dozen kilometers brings Montenegro closer to a modern, connected, and competitive future.
