This highway is a new development opportunity for Lajkovac, will the town use it?

The Milos Veliki (Milos the Great) highway is a new development opportunity for Lajkovac, a town in western Serbia, and its residents hope the municipality will enter a golden age of development, like the one at the beginning of the 20th century, Lajkovac Mayor Andrija Zivkovic said today.

"Certainly, we in Lajkovac see this event of the opening of the Milos Veliki highway much more emotionally than residents of other municipalities and cities. Lajkovac has always been an intersection of important roads ever since its foundation in 1908, from the narrow gauge railway line in the early 20th century when it was among the largest railway junctions in Serbia ," Zivkovic told Tanjug.

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He added that Lajkovac is now repeating its history.

"We hope to re-enter that golden age of development from the beginning of the 20th century. This is a new development chance for a better future for our municipality. This is a great impetus for the private sector and the economy of Lajkovac and the entire Kolubara District," Zivkovic added.

Zivkovic says the highway provides an opportunity to harness the great tourism potential of the municipality.

One of the most important things, he said, is that the citizens will use the highway instead of the Ibar highway, which is very busy and where numerous crashes and fatal accidents happen.

"That alone is a sufficient argument to be happy," said the mayor of Lajkovac.

Photo: Tanjug/Rade Prelic

He added that the opening of the highway also opens a great chance for development since the loop at Nepricava near Lajkovac is one of the largest on the route.

"We have already introduced into the detailed regulation plan the bypass around Lajkovac and a future industrial zone on 150 hectares. The bypass is very important, as it will relocate freight traffic and connect the loop at Nepricava with the Ibar highway, which is important for both the municipality of Lazarevac and Lajkovac itself. The bypass itself connects us to an area planned to be on both sides of a future seven-kilometer bypass," says Zivkovic.

This opens up a great chance for future investors to come, because of the proximity and the location, to choose and open their plants here, Zivkovic said, adding that this would create new jobs and prevent the outflow of population.

"We have already talked to potential investors, and our advantage is the proximity to Belgrade and the existing railway, which is also a symbol of Lajkovac. We have an industrial railway track, so we have that advantage over other municipalities," said the mayor, adding that local governments will fight to attract investors with the conditions they offer.

Zivkovic said that until now, it took 90 minutes to reach Belgrade that is 70 kilometers from Lajkovac on the Ibar highway - while now the trip takes less than an hour on the 50 kilometers of the new highway.

The Milos Veliki highway from Obrenovac to Ljig was officially opened on Sunday by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Citizens are cautioned when that  navigation systems have not yet been updated and do not recognize the new highway.

VIDEO: Vucic: We have been waiting for many decades for this day

(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug)