Montenegro has launched prequalification for the 10.5-kilometre Smokovac–Tološi motorway section, opening another major procurement package within the country’s road-development programme. The planned motorway will have four traffic lanes and emergency lanes, alongside major structures including bridges and a twin-tube tunnel.
Bridges and tunnel structures are expected to make up approximately 20% of the total alignment, giving the project a substantial technical component relative to its overall length. The section is located in one of the most congested transport areas around Podgorica. Increasing traffic volumes are making connections between the existing motorway, the capital and the coastal road network increasingly important for both domestic transport and freight movements.
The tender adds another major motorway package to Montenegro’s infrastructure market alongside the Mateševo–Andrijevica section. With several motorway projects advancing through procurement and construction simultaneously, demand is expanding across contractors, design firms, geotechnical specialists, tunnel-equipment suppliers, bridge-system providers and project-management services. The increased project pipeline also creates opportunities for domestic subcontractors while adding to competition for skilled labour.
The Smokovac–Tološi section presents additional construction requirements because of its proximity to Podgorica. Works in the urban area will require management of existing traffic, land acquisition, utilities and environmental constraints. The project’s technical requirements consequently form a substantial part of its construction scope, particularly given the share of the alignment occupied by bridges and tunnel structures.
The procurement also forms part of a wider effort to develop Montenegro’s motorway network as an interconnected system rather than treating the Bar–Boljare motorway as a standalone corridor. Improved connections around Podgorica can increase the use of completed motorway sections while reducing bottlenecks on connecting roads. The Smokovac–Tološi package is consequently becoming another significant motorway procurement opportunity within Montenegro’s infrastructure market.
