 INTRODUCTION |
The Republic of Macedonia belongs to a group of small countries situated on the central area of the Balkan peninsula. This geographic situations defines the Republic of Macedonia as a crossroads for the main traffic interconnections among the Balkan countries and further more Middle and Far East, and Africa.
The Public Company "Makedonija-Pat" is a State Company, established just after the liberation in 1945, with strictly determined position according to the law for Public Roads of the Republic of Macedonia. The Company is a State Property, and has a role in the management, maintenance and protection of the public roads.
The State is controlling the financing, maintenance and the protection of the roads through the " Fund for Roads ", and the quality of the realization of the activities of the Public Company " Makedonija Pat " - Skopje as well.
In the period following the independence of the Republic of Macedonia, the number of enterprises engaged in transportation for international traffic increased from 226 to over 1,350. The transportation capacities increased from 2000 traction vehicles (single lorries and traction lorries) and 1,700 other transportation units, to 3,764 traction vehicles and 3,387 other transportation units.
| TASKS AND OBLIGATIONS |
The annual program for the maintenance and protection of roads includes the following aspects:
The current maintenance (April to November)
The maintenance in winter season (November to April)
Investment maintenance
Maintenance of bridges and objects
Roads protection
Automatic and manual counting of the traffic density
Information service on road situation
Road marks design production and placing on the roads
Road construction and asphalt paving
The rest of maintenance works
The Company has a duty to maintain 4,370 km of roads:
| |
Highways
Km. |
Main roads
Km |
Regional roads
Km |
Total
Km |
| Total km. |
231 |
937 |
3,433 |
4,370 |
| OUR EQUIPMENT |
The Public Company "Makedonija Pat" owns
different kinds of equipment for road maintenance
and reconstruction such as trucks with winter attachments,
pickups, Buses and kombi-buses to construction machines
(bulldozers, loaders, graders, rollers), road marking
machines, and asphalt milling machines, snow cleaners
and asphalt plant with total capacity to 150 T/h. |
The Public Company " Makedonija Pat " is performing the works to enable permanent use of roads on the whole territory of the Republic of Macedonia throughout the year. During the winter period (November to April), roads are submitted to different maintenance treatments by keeping the roads free of snow and rocks. A particular attention is paid to the border crossings; Deve Bair, Delcevo, Kafasan, and the access roads to winter ski centers: Popova Sapka, Mavrovo, Pelister etc. Four priorities are applied due to traffic intensity, economic importance and financing possibilities.
| Roads |
Criteria |
| 565,7 km (36,3%) |
The highest quality maintenance. Immediate start after the need has occurred with 2 hours break. |
| 603,8 km (14%) |
Lower criteria |
| 1,281 km (29%) |
More lower criteria |
| 862,6 km (20%) |
Regularly not cleaned |
In the winter period it is extremely important to operate efficiently and professionally. That is why "Makedonija Pat" has organized itself in five branches, which are the following:
Public Company Makedonija Pat
Skopje Head Quarter |
| Branch "Skopje" |
Branch "Avtopat" |
Branch "Bitola" |
Branch "Veles" |
Branch "Stip" |
| CURRENT/ FUTURE PROJECTS |
"Makedonija Pat" is working on several projects, which are partially financed by the World Bank and the European Bank. One such project is the construction and renovation of the highways (Corridor 8 and Corridor 10) that cross Macedonia and connect to Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and other European countries.
It has been planned to have Corridor 8 from Drach (Albania) to Burgas (Bulgaria) that goes through Macedonia along two directions: central and northern. The Corridor enters the country at Kafa San and continues through the northern corridor: Struga, Ohrid, Kicevo, Gostivar, Tetovo, Skopje, Kumanovo and through Kriva Palanka to Bulgaria; and through the central corridor: Skopje, Ohrid, Resen, Bitola, Prilep, Veles, Stip and Delcevo to Bulgaria. The Northern Corridor is in process of construction, the area between Tetovo - Gostivar has already been built, but Skopje- Tetovo is still under construction, using credit from the World Bank and the European Bank.
Corridor 10 comes from Vienna through Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Greece. A highway has covered the major part and the section from Demir Kapija to Gevgelija needs to be completed with the donation from PHARE.
The other development projects of "Makedonija Pat" are related to Macedonia's obligations stemming from the Stability Pact agreement signed with the EU.
Traffic safety is one of the main focuses within future projects. One of those is the project for new road equipment, accessories, transport machines and tools for their maintenance.
Value of the project is USA$ 8.000.000 and the needed financing is secured by the Japanese Government Grant Aid. Realization of the project is scheduled for the year 2001. |
