It is planned that the new bypass around Budva will become one of the most modern road arteries in the country, and its cost will amount to almost200 million euros. The new route will significantly reduce summer traffic jams and provide a safe and fast connection between coastal towns. The project includesfour bridges,two tunnels, and several interchanges, with completion scheduled for2029.
According to the director of the companyMonteput, Milan Ljaljanic, the approximatelyeight-kilometerroute will pass through challenging terrain, which is why more than 70% of the route will consist of tunnels and bridges. The bypass road will connect the settlements ofMarkovići and Lastva Grbaljska, relieving the busiest section of the main road on the Adriatic coast.
The project is being implemented under thedesign & buildmodel — “design and construction” — with a total project duration of48 monthsfrom the contractor’s appointment. The client is the state-owned company Monteput, and the tender for selecting the contractor was announced in October 2025.
The new road will not only reduce travel time and ease congestion during the peak tourist season, but will also become an important part of the futureAdriatic-Ionian Corridor, connecting Montenegro’s coast with Croatia and Albania.
The new bypass road as an infrastructure transformation of the country
The Budva bypass is only the beginning of major changes. According to Montenegro’s new spatial plan, more than 620 kilometers of highways and express roads are planned to be built in the country by 2040.
The document provides for the development of a network of key transport axes, including the extension of the Podgorica–Bar road to Ulcinj, the creation of a new “northern route” from Pljevlja to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the connection between Andrijevica and Kosovo.