Asphalt on STU 3 in Bitola barracks dug up a day after paving
Councillors showed footage on 15 August of fresh asphalt removed a day after a 14 August drone announcement; contractor says works were reopened after rain to secure durability.
The newly paved street known as STU 3 inside the Bitola barracks was dug up a day after the municipality celebrated its completion, raising questions about workmanship and quality control.
Opposition councillors released footage on 15 August showing the asphalt removed after the 14 August drone announcement by the mayor.
On 14 August the mayor, Toni Konjanovski, published a drone video saying the street had been asphalted, that the investment amounted to 19 million denars (about c308,000) and that the project would provide 100 parking spaces. The following day, 15 August, opposition councillors posted video showing sections of the fresh asphalt removed.
"Why are such oversights made, who will compensate these damages? Why are mistakes made, why was the new asphalt removed again? Citizens deserve an answer," said SDSM councillor Sofia Ristevska-Petrusheva.
Independent civic initiative councillor Ivan Chulakoski criticised the work as shoddy: "The mayor went out with drones, filmed here, STU 3 street in the barracks, he says it is asphalted, 19 million denars investment from the government's call, but after only 24 hours, the street is dug up. Cut it, dig it and asphalt it again," he said.
The Municipality of Bitola forwarded a statement from the contractor, BV Engineering, which said that after rain on 14 August, although the asphalt had been laid with satisfactory quality, the company elected, at its own expense, to remove part of the pavement to ensure proper long-term quality and durability of the workmanship. The firm added that STU 3 remains an active construction site and has not been handed over to the investor, and that access for unauthorised persons is prohibited until handover.
STU 3 is a newly designed road linking Gligor Prlichev and Rokdajl streets with a total length of 421 metres. Funding came from the first government call administered by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Previously, separate sewer and stormwater works costing some 7 million denars (over c113,000), street lighting of 1.9 million denars (over c30,000), and a new water mains installation of 2 million denars (over c32,000) were carried out with funds from the government call and the Municipality of Bitola.
Municipal officials note other resurfaced roads in the city have been reopened for additional works after networks were reconstructed, and that repair costs have been borne by contractors in those cases. Examples mentioned include Bursa, Stiv Naumov, the roundabout by the old veterinary station, parts of the new boulevard entrance and other streets; on STU 5 a transformer corner reportedly encroaches onto the carriageway.
Journalist: Zh. Zdravkovska
Photo: SDK.MK
