Balkans Development

[tkk7406]

OK let's get some thing straight right now. We don't want to talk about Turkey here because apart from the bit with Istanbul, Turkey is not considered in the Balkans, which is what this thread is for (I'm not saying this to start another conflict, it just isn't). Mostly though, and after a chat with some team members, we thought it's best to make a separate topic for Turkey when it's being developed for various reasons. Therefore please be patient and keep your question regarding Turkey's development to yourselves for now. We haven't forgotten about you, but we're not ready yet as we've still got... well... the rest of the Balkans to finish first.

So, for the last time:

Please stop asking about Turkey! We'll let you know when we get there, and a development topic for Turkey will be opened when we are!

Please do note that this is also in the first post, so any further questions about Turkey's development will be removed automatically with no comment at all. You need to understand that we haven't got a clue when and what parts of Turkey will be in our map, we haven't even got plans yet, so for now be patient and keep an eye in the Development forum.

I hope I've made myself clear. Thanks for understanding.

[Keepertje8]

Hey guys, very nice to see the Balkans progressing! I have a question to those working on the Belgrade - Skopje - Thessaloniki highway (Corridor X). When building the highway, do you take into account the contrast in road quality? The recently finished stretch between Preševo and Vladičin Han is of really good quality, and stands in sharp contrast to other parts, for example the part between Kumanovo and Skopje's airport (currently under construction) and where it's quite dangerous to drive faster than 90 km/h. There's also a lot of construction going that aims to replace the scenic canyon drive between Leskovac and Vladičin Han, and I was wondering whether you guys base the map on the current situation, or what it'll be like in 1-2 years from now.

[ScuL]

To answer in detail

The area between the Greek border and Marvintsi has a 2x2 highway to modern standards which, is quite bendy and therefore speed restricted. It merges to a 1x1 section following along the river before widening back to a modern 2x2 highway.

South of Skopje the canyon near Veles is very windy, the roads go separate ways (northbound carriageway is on the other side of mountains from the southbound carriageway). Speed limits here are very low and you should drive carefully. The road surface condition is good, but we can make it worse if that needs to be the case?

From this canyon north all the way to the Serbian border it's modern 2x2 highway with good quality surface. There are 2 junctions near Skopje, one with the A2 and one with the A4. North of the SRB-MK border the road goes back to 1 lane for some distance and then back to 2x2 all the way to Belgrade via Nis. We don't know much about the condition of the road here other than what Google Streetview tells us so if you have recommendations please share them.

[Keepertje8]

Thanks for the detailed answer! The junction near Veles will indeed be interesting, but road condition is pretty good on both sides. I was referring to the part between the A2/A1 intersection and Kumanovo, which is generally in much worse shape than the part from Skopje to Veles. See here for example how cracked the road is on this stretch.

Construction of the highway in southern Serbia has been completed up until Vladičin Han (including the part near Bujanovac which is not updated yet on Google Maps). The ~32km one-lane road north of here is in good condition but it's quite narrow and bendy. Huge highway bridges over the Morava are currently being constructed to replace this road. Many people stop on this road at motels Predejane and Dzep to enjoy the scenery for a bit.

Everything north of Leskovac is pretty straightforward. Would be nice to include some signs pointing to the wine routes here, as those are very common on the A1 in Central Serbia. Also perhaps good to know that although toll booths have been built near Presevo and Vranje, there's only one active toll booth between the SRB/MK border and Nis, and it's just before Nis (if you approach from Skopje). As far as I know, all toll booths on the A1 in Macedonia (near Kumanovo, Veles, and Gradsko) are cash-only, so no speeding through them

[brainiac]

I have one good source of information. Coming later today.

[ScuL]

Please provide more info on the toll booths and possibly photographs and prices in €. It's also important to know if the toll booths are on the main motorway route or if they are only on exits.

[brainiac]

On RTS TV (radio television of Serbia, translated) is program (or emmision) SAT: http://www.rts.rs/page/tv/sr/series/20/ ... 0/sat.html
Every year, about 2 times in February, and about 10 times at summer, they make "patrol". They travel to famous holiday destinatoin for Serbians: Ussualy Greece (through Macedonia and Bulgaria) and Montenegro; in Feburary on famous mountains, like Kopaonik and Zlatibor. Once they made patrol to Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia and even Italy (jost very north of Jadran sea).
The most time of program is spent on journey because they talk about any interesting things on roads: road profile, roadworks, dangerous, rebuilt and new road sections, places for break or meal, important informations (e.g. on borders, basic rules on roads in each country, gas prices, etc),... If road is bad, they criticize road worker and responsible persons or firm. If road is very good, they talk up. I like this emmision. It is, I think, the best way to find out what is situation on roads which most of our tourist use, to Greece:
E75 to Thessaloniki, sometimes to Paralia; as road from Belgrade to Niš is same many years ago, they start patrol from Niš toll (approach from Belgrade), but, I think, until 2014. they started from Belgrade.
E80 to Sofia (both summer and winter patrol), then E79 to Serres, and (blue) 12 to Kavala or Thessaloniki. Highway is under construction.
E90 to Corfu or Parga or another near place, my favorite.
to Montenegro (not every year each route):
E763 and E65 through Morača canyon, the busiest route:
https://www.google.rs/maps/dir/44.71226 ... 1f!1m0!3e0
Through Bosnia and Herzegovina:
https://www.google.rs/maps/dir/44.71306 ... c1!1m0!3e0
Problem is because program is only on Serbian, so someone need to translate, if you haven't man from former Yougoslavia except Slovenia.
On official site there are epizodes only for last few months, but earlier patrols you can find on youtube, typing "SAT patrola (year)".

[Keepertje8]

Please provide more info on the toll booths and possibly photographs and prices in €. It's also important to know if the toll booths are on the main motorway route or if they are only on exits.

In Macedonia, they are on the main motor way. If you include Skopje (which is off the A1), these are the booths::

A1 near Kumanovo, €3.
On the A2, after the A1 intersection, €5.
On the A4, after the A1 intersection, close to Skopje airport, €3.
On the A1 near Veles, southbound, €6,50.
On the A1 near Veles, northbound, €6,50.
On the A1, near Gradsko, €5,00.

In Serbia, here is the main one prior to Nis, €10. This one has an electronic lane.

[Peterson]

Are there car or truck prices?

[Master_of_the_roads]

I agree with brainiac personally, SAT magazin is the best television show based on safety on the road in Serbia, best oriented and best informed for everybody who find themselves in critical situations while driving and asking for detailed help on the road.

I'm among the first who watch that program every Sunday on RTS, here in Slovenia we have all kinds of similar genres, but none as intelligent as that. Excuse me for going off-topic for a moment, but I had to say something about SAT as well.

If they can help with the missing information about tolls and their prices also, then it's a welcome choice.