Development of the Road Network in Fr Yugoslavia Being an Integral Part of the Road

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROAD NETWORK IN FR YUGOSLAVIA BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE OF SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

Prof. Ljubisa KUZOVIC, Ph.D.,Transp.Eng.

Dusan RADOSEVIC, Transp.Eng.

Drazenko GLAVIC, M.Sc., Transp.Eng.

1.  TRANSPORT-GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF FR YUGOSLAVIA

FR Yugoslavia takes up the central part of the Balkan region, and provides for the passage of traffic through corridors linking Europe with the Near East, Asia, and Northeastern Africa. These corridors stretch out through the valleys of rivers including the Danube, Sava, Morava, Nisava, and others.

In addition to FR Yugoslavia, i.e. the Republic of Montenegro is also a coastal country, and there is an access to the southern part of the Adriatic Sea with 300 km of seashore, making it relevant to transport in the Adriatic and Mediterranean areas.

Therefore, the current and future transport potential of the FR Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro respectively, is exceptional not only for the Balkans but for Europe as well.

Much transportation infrastructure, including international E-roads, railroads, navigable routes, river ports and sea harbors, and international airports, and telecommunication systems are already established and represent an integral part of Pan-European multi modal transport corridors and basic suppositions of future development within the framework of transport system in Southeastern Europe.

2.  THE ROAD NETWORK OF FR YUGOSLAVIA-ATTAINED DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL

(1) Basic quantitative and qualitative developmental indicators of the road network in FR Yugoslavia

The road network of FRY is made of main, regional and local roads. Within the framework of main roads there are classified the E-roads, as well as the roads of high standard - motorways, i.e. semimotorways.

Table 1 - Size of the road network in FRY - as of 1997

Regional

Overall length of categorized road network amounts to 49,805 km comprising 6,308 km of main roads, 12,682 km of regional roads and 30,815 km of local roads.

The main roads composed of 30 road routes fall into the basic network. Moreover, all European (E) roads are encompassed by main roads in the length of 2,750 km, with the share of approximately 42.5% within the network of main roads, thus becoming a particular indicator of pronounced transit features of our road network and our country, as well.

The density of road network amounts to 48.7 km/100 sq.km (Serbia 48.5 & Montenegro 50.2) which is at the level of mid-developed countries of Europe. However, techno-operational characteristics of the entire road network of FR Yugoslavia are unsatisfactory, and are reflected primarily as follows:

·  rather small share of motorways within the network of M roads (approximately 400 km of motorways and 200 km of semimotorways);

·  passage of main roads through urban settlements (24% of the length);

·  unsatisfactory design standards on a considerable part of the network of main roads;

·  unsatisfactory pavement conditions et al.

Figures at hand indicate that around 40% of main roads, and approximately 60% of regional roads have pavements under poor conditions. However, the bridges fall into category of particular issues. Some 20% of bridges have structural damages, while on 15%, these damages could be eliminated by routine interventions. There are numerous reasons to corroborate this, and the main one is to be found in an inadequate funding of road maintenance in the previous period, particularly during sanctions imposed to FR Yugoslavia by UN Security Council.

(2) An estimate of relative developmental of the road network in FR Yugoslavia as compared with some European countries

Table No.2 is presenting data regarding the road network density or 14 countries and Yugoslavia, according to IRF World Road Statistics - '98.

Table 2 - Data on the road network density

Motorways

Total roads

Based upon the indicators from afore mentioned table one may state that according to the developmental level of the road network FR Yugoslavia falls into category of mid-developed countries of Europe.

(3) Road routes of European relevance passing through FR Yugoslavia

Summary review of E-roads passing through FR Yugoslavia

1.  E-75 Hungary (Budapest)-Subotica-Novi Sad-Nis - F.Y.R.Macedonia (Skoplje) - Greece Athens);

2.  E-70 Croatia(Zagreb)-Sremska Mitrovica-Ruma-Belgrade - Vrsac-Rumania (Bucharest);

3.  E-80 Croatia(Dubrovnik)-Herceg Novi-Petrovac-Podgorica-Berane-Kosovska Mitrovica-Pristina-Nis-Pirot- Bulgaria(Sofia);

4.  E-65 Croatia(Dubrovnik)-Herceg Novi-Petrovac-Podgorica-Berane-KosovskaMitrovica-Pristina-F.Y.R.Macedonia (Skoplje);

5.  E-660 Hungary-Subotica-Sombor-Danube river-Croatia;

6.  E-761 B&H(Visegrad)-Uzice-Cacak-Kraljevo-Krusevac-Pojate-Paracin-Zajecar-Bulgaria;

7.  E-762 B&H(Srbinje)-Niksic-Podgorica-Albania;

8.  E-763 Belgrade-Gornji Milanovac-Preljina-Uzice-Prijepolje-Bijelo Polje-link with E-65/80 (Ribarevina);

9.  E-771 Rumania-Kladovo-Zajecar-Nis-Pristina;

10.  E-851 Pristina-Prizren-Albania-Ulcinj-Bar-Petrovac.

(4) Road routes encompassed by TEM network and Pan-European multi modal transport corridors

¨  Routes classified under TEM network

Former Yugoslavia was among ten signatory countries of TEM Declaration adopted in 1977 in Warsaw. Approximately 10 % of roads defined by TEM project are passing through F.R.Yugoslavia and international financial institutions had been involved in their funding (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development & European Investment Bank). Fig 1 is presenting TEM routes passing through the territory of FRY.

Fig 1. - TEM routes passing through FR Yugoslavia

¨  Routes classified within the framework of Pan-European multi modal transport corridors and Pan-European areas

At the second Pan-European Transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, nine Pan-European transport corridors were identified for further work. Due to well-known reasons (embargo of the international community towards Yugoslavia) transport corridors did not have their adequate position (except for corridor VII - fluvial route of the Danube). However, at the third Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki, June 1997, corridors were adjusted so that they encompassed corridor no.X crossing F.R.Yugoslavia and thus covering traditional transport routes of South Eastern Europe as follows:

Main Corridor: Salzburg-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Belgrade-Nis-Skoplje-Thessaloniki;

Branch B: Budapest-Novi Sad-Belgrade;

Branch C: Nis-Yugoslav/Bulgarian border-Sofia.

The length of roads passing through FRY as defined by Corridor X amounts to around 800 km.

Additional four Pan-European transport areas were also adopted at the Helsinki conference, and among these Adriatic-Ionic area was the one which is stretching trough FR Yugoslavia, i.e. the Republic of Montenegro. Namely, future Adriatic-Ionic motorway is expected to pass through from Croatian/Yugoslav border to Yugoslav/Albanian border.

It is in the interest of F.R.Yugoslavia to add some of its traditional corridors to Pan-European Transport Network. This is primarily the corridor: Rumanian/Yugoslav border (Temisoara, link with corridor IV)-Belgrade-South Adriatic (Bar) with links for Italy (Bari) and Albania (Tirana + link with corridor VIII). This corridor belongs to European routes E-70 and E-763, and is also part of TEM network and of European railroads E-66 and E-79. Fig No.2 is presenting the corridor as described.

Fig.2 A proposal of new Pan-European multi modal transport corridor or branch of corridor X

3.  TRAFFIC FLOWS AND CONDITIONS ON MAIN ROADS BELONGING TO THE TEM NETWORK, PAN-EUROPEAN MULTI MODAL TRANSPORT CORRIDORS AND AREAS

In defining the needs of future road network development, the basic measurement unit of the demand is represented by traffic flow indicators (achieved and expected) on the existing road network, whereas the basic measurement unit of the capability of existing network to cater for traffic flows is represented by indicators of capacity and quality of network under study.

Taking into account that this paper is dealing with the perception of long-term development of the network of F.R.Yugoslavia,a major emphasis is awarded to basic road network, and primarily to motorway network, being an integral part of European network, TEM network, and Pan-European multi modal corridors. Therefore, in an assessment of expected traffic flows IRF estimates are taken up primarily in respect to the growth of demand for road traffic in Europe.

In accordance with data from the study prepared by NEA Institute from the Netherlands, ordered originally by IRF for AIMSE project (Pan-European motorway network till the year 2000), which was completed in 1990, the demand growth for road transport from 1988-2000 in Europe was estimated to approximately 34%, and in view of accelerated growth of mobility in the countries of Eastern Europe the growth was estimated to be in the proximity of 50%. In afore mentioned study it is stated that expected growth increase of the demand is to be almost three times greater than total railroad network capacity of Europe. From quoted data one may construe that the share of roads in overall transport demand will continue to grow despite joint efforts to develop the capacities of other modes of transport.

In the majority of countries of Central, Western, and Northern Europe road transport makes up almost 80% of total land transport (passengers + freight).

The share of road transport is somewhat lower in the Mediterranean area and in Eastern Europe and amounts to approximately 60%. Yet, with the introduction of market economy in these countries the road traffic will have faster growth. The forecasts indicate that the freight transport "east-west" from 1989 till 2000 will be tenfold greater.

In this paper the demand indicators, in other words the traffic flows are stated by Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) as per road routes on the arterial network belonging to TEM network, Pan-European multi modal transport corridors, and Adriatic-Ionic route.

As regards the capacity of existing network to fulfill the requirements of traffic flows the indicators therewith are expressed with ratios between AADT (vpd) and daily capacity at LOS"E", DC LOS"E" (vpd).

Table 3 and Figure 3 referring to road routes which belong to TEM network, Pan-European multi modal transport corridors, and Adriatic-Ionic route indicate together the data on traffic flows (achieved in 1997 and expected by 2020). Moreover, there are indicators regarding the capacity of existing network to fulfill the expected traffic as of the year 2020.

Table 3 Data on traffic flows (achieved in 1997 and expected by 2020) and capacity indicators of existing network

Branch Xb

Branch Xc

Adriatic-Ionic Motorway

Rumanian border-Belgrade-Podgorica-Bar