A hackberry tree slowed down the work: Reconstruction of Freedom Street expected to be completed by the end of January

Works on Freedom Street (Ulica slobode) are expected to be completed by the end of January, provided there is no prolonged period of adverse weather conditions - representatives of the Agency for Construction and Development of Podgorica told ETV Portal.

The Construction and Supervision Department stated that, since the delay in completing the works - originally scheduled to last 95 calendar days - was not caused by the contractor, there are currently no grounds for charging the agreed contractual penalty.

Works on Freedom Street began at the end of August 2025. The contracted value of the works, as previously announced, amounts to 790.000 euros.

Unforeseen circumstances

The Agency for Construction and Development explained that the 95-calendar-day deadline for the reconstruction of Freedom Street, specifically the section from Hercegovačka Street to Ivan Crnojević Boulevard, was determined by the contractor based on the project during the tender procedure, at a time when it was not known that unforeseen circumstances would arise and affect the extension of the deadline.

- At the very beginning of the works, we encountered underground installations of various types that were not recorded in the cadastre. The road where the works are being carried out was built many years ago, according to standards that applied at the time. When connecting the new pipeline to the existing water supply system, it was determined - based on the requirements of the „Water Supply and Sewerage“ company - that certain fittings and water supply equipment needed to be added in the manholes. For these reasons, it became necessary to increase the dimensions of the existing manholes and construct new reinforced-concrete ones, work on which is scheduled to continue at the beginning of this year - the Agency stated in response to questions about the extension of the works until the end of January.

In addition, the Agency said that the investor informed them of two large-scale buildings on the left side of the street (toward the City Stadium), for which project documentation is currently being prepared.

- This resulted in the need to provide certain technical solutions, in cooperation with designers and utility companies that will manage the installations after the completion of works, in order to ensure the unobstructed functioning of the road. If the fact that new buildings would be constructed were ignored, it would later be necessary not only to demolish paved surfaces and the concrete base on which they are laid, but also to modify the installed utilities, which would entail significant and unjustified costs - the Agency emphasized.

They noted that, in addition to being a central traffic artery in the narrower city center, Freedom Street also serves the purpose of providing utility infrastructure for buildings along its route.

- In this way, conditions have been created for new buildings as well - under the supervision of public utility companies that will take over the completed installations for management and maintenance - to be connected to the existing infrastructure after the settlement of communal infrastructure fees - the Agency said.

Hackberry tree and publicity

These circumstances required additional time for the execution of works.

- The execution of works was particularly affected by the inability to carry out planned works on the right side of the roadway, where the hackberry tree was located, which complicated works along the entire route of the street. Trial excavations determined that the roots of this tree extended toward the opposite side of the roadway, were located immediately above the depth planned for excavation, and were quite wide. The tree crown was leaning toward the opposite side of the street. Due to opposition from citizens and some NGOs to the removal of the hackberry tree, although its removal was foreseen by the project, this issue received significant public attention - the Agency stated.

As they added, there were proposals to transplant the tree and interpretations suggesting it could be retained along the route, which was not in accordance with professional standards.

- Since we were informed that some of the individuals opposing the removal of the tree would engage an expert to provide arguments for retaining the hackberry tree, we had to leave room for that possibility. Given that no technical solution was submitted, let alone one that would guarantee the stability of the tree during excavation and base compaction, or the protection of the roots from rotting beneath the concrete slab and paving, which would ultimately lead to the instability of the tree, we were obliged, for safety reasons, to remove the hackberry tree. Transplanting the tree was also not possible due to its size, extensive root system, and terrain characteristics, as the Capital City does not possess machinery capable of performing such an operation. A tree of these characteristics and size could not be transplanted - the Agency stated unequivocally.

The presence of this tree along the route, they explained, prevented them from taking advantage of favorable weather conditions to replace materials with insufficient load-bearing capacity, as determined by soil testing on site, since such work would have caused the tree to topple.

- Until the day the tree was removed, the contractor mostly worked on the left side of the street, where there were additional and unforeseen works. We note that almost all installations under the project are located beneath the sidewalk surfaces. Following the removal of the tree, conditions were created for installing utilities on the remaining part of the right side, and the replacement of materials was carried out about fifteen days ago. As announced in our initial statement at the beginning of the works, the planting of 13 holm oak trees is planned, the same species already planted in the first section of Freedom Street - the Agency reiterated.

Central section to be completed last

Asked about the current phase of the works and what remains to be done in January, the Agency said that the majority of underground utility works have been completed, with the installation of covers and similar elements still pending.

- Concreting of the base intended for the installation of stone slabs on the sidewalk sections on both sides of the roadway has been completed. Stone curbs have also been installed around green areas near the building at the intersection with Hercegovačka Street - the Agency stated.

The central section of the roadway will be paved last, in order to allow space for works on the sidewalks, maneuvering of machinery, and storage of materials, stone slabs, and prisms, which are currently kept at the contractor’s depot.