Aleksandrovac citizens demand answers on bridge project investor after riverbank collapse

Residents and opposition parties in Aleksandrovac are demanding transparency regarding a bridge construction project after a section of the riverbank collapsed on July 29. Concerns are mounting over the lack of publicly available information about the project's investor and contractor, with citizens questioning why these details are being withheld.

The collapse at the construction site caused damage to nearby structures, prompting the local municipality president, Jelena Paunović, to attribute responsibility to the investor and contractor. However, she did not identify them. In response to inquiries, the public enterprise "Putevi Srbije" confirmed its role as the investor, while "Srbijaput" was identified as the contractor. The project's value, excluding VAT, is stated as 56.233 million dinars, with an emergency 90-day deadline.

Despite official confirmations, the opposition group "Buđenje Župe" (Awakening of the Župa) insists that citizens still lack basic project information. They cite the Law on Planning and Construction, which mandates that construction sites display a board with details about the project, investor, designer, permit number, contractor, start date, and completion deadline. The opposition argues that the absence of such a sign and the continued secrecy surrounding the project are unacceptable.

Dragiša Stamenković, head of the opposition group "Srbija protiv nasilja" (Serbia Against Violence), echoed these concerns, stating he has never seen the required construction board at the site. He criticized the authorities for not respecting citizens and for their slow, seemingly unhurried progress on the project. "Putevi Srbije" acknowledged the collapse of an old coastal pillar that pulled down the earth embankment, causing damage, and stated that further actions would depend on the findings of relevant inspection services.