Construction and renewal of the road infrastructure in the eastern part of Macedonia will lead to greater economic development of this region and safer travel, Transport Minister Mile Janakieski announced on Thursday. Janakieski visited the construction site of the Veles - Stip road, where a 9-kilometre section near the village of Kadrifakovo is being expanded. Janakieski was joined by the manager of the Public Enterprise for State Roads Ljupco Georgievski and the mayors of Veles, Stip and Lozovo.

The investment provides that the road is expanded, with three lanes and a width of 11 meters, for a total of 6,5 million EUR.

- The widening of this road was part of the Government program, but also it was one of the requests from the citizens of this region. We are talking about a road that is 50 years old, and once the construction is done, it will be a safer and more modern road, Janakieski said.

One part of the reconstruction project is already finished. The total project involves 24 kilometres and is worth 15 million EUR.

Janakieski said that regarding the infrastructure in eastern Macedonia, the Ministry prepares to widen and reconstruct the Stip - Kocani road, beginning at the end of next year. The work on the road from Delcevo to the mountain resort of Golak is on-going.

The overall program includes building an express road from Stip to Radovis, where construction is slated for the end of 2017. The biggest project is the Skopje - Stip highway that is being built, and Janakieski added that a number of local roads will also be built.