For the earlier Eastern Bypass road project, Municipal management demonstrated that it is able to manage road related environmental, social, health and safety performance including economic and physical displacement (relocation) of households, which were conducted according to national, EU and in keeping with key IFC requirements; to date, as per supervision activities conducted, no significant adverse social impacts have been identified. The Bridge over Ribnica River was officially open for traffic in May 2011; pollution control, emergency response planning, road safety and related impacts to the neighboring communities and rehabilitation arrangements post construction are managed in compliance with national requirements and IFC PSs. No legacy issues like potential liability associated with land acquisition and involuntary resettlement related to the Ribnica Bridge were identified.
During the construction phase of the SWB project the City through its main contractor will ensure that the project is developed according to good industry practices. This will include establishment of the construction site with all amenities and temporary facilities for the workforce and to provide for necessary environmental controls at the site. Operational impacts focus primarily on stormwater and noise management.
PS1: Social and Environmental Assessment and Management System
Social and Environmental Assessment: In developing the project the city has consulted with Detailed Urban Plans (DUP) for Donja Gorica ( amendments) and DUP for Industrial Zone of KAP. The EIA, which covers the 3,6 km section of the overall SWB, assessed the environmental issues associated with the construction of a bridge over River Moraca and an overpass located in the vicinity of KAP i.e. geology and soils, surface and groundwater, air quality, noise, flora and fauna, landscape and visual impact and cultural heritage. The EIA went through public consultation meeting during February 2012; Due to the fact that the road is located partly in the industrial zone and partly in a sub urban area with only few public or residential buildings no significant issues were identified. Once completed, this section of SWB will divert significant proportion of traffic away from the city center thus producing significant overall improvement to living conditions in the city.
Management and Monitoring Programs: The City has developed its Environmental Management Plan for the period 2010–2014, which serves as guidance for development of all other projects at the City level including the SWB project. The City management, its Secretariats and Agencies are managing and monitoring the works on the SWB through established procedures and management plans. A mitigation measures identified in EIA will be adopted in the final project design including specific environmental, health and safety management improvements, site management plan, emergency response and hazardous material/waste management plans.
Organization and Training: The City Secretariat for Planning, Development and Environmental protection is in charge of the overall management of EHS aspects of any project but day–to–day management is the responsibility of the project management contractor. The contractor is providing oversight for subcontractors’ training to assure that the workers have the skills to perform their activities in a safe, healthy and environmentally responsible manner. All new subcontractors receive an EHS induction prior to starting work, a work-site orientation and on-the-job or formal training prior to being assigned a job. The City Secretariat requires that contractors and sub-contractors provide proof of certification that their workers are competent to do their jobs safely.
PS2: Labor and Working Conditions
Most of the workforce will be involved in construction. . Construction workers are employed by contractors on behalf of the Municipality. Once the development is completed any operation-related employment will be associated with maintenance requirements of the SWB and the Ribnica Bridge. Due to a shortage of qualified construction workers in the region, it is anticipated that migrant labor, primarily from Serbia and Bosnia, will form a significant part of this construction workforce. Recruitment will be in accordance with relevant laws concerning the use of migrant labor.
Human Resources Policy and Procedures: The City has a limited presence on site through representatives of the different Secretariats, Agencies and Inspectorates that are responsible for monitoring of the work on the SWB. These representatives are engaged with contractors to provide project management and oversee construction. Labor and working conditions are stipulated in legal documentation provided to contractors by the City; specifically, contractors must abide by Montenegrin Labor Law which articulates provisions regarding rights of association and collective bargaining, the use of child labor, the use of forced labor, discrimination in the workforce and workers’ rights.
Occupational Health and Safety:
South-Western Bypass consists basically of the following structures: a bridge on the River Moraca, the diversion section passing around the industrial complex (“KAP” and Forging Plant “Kovacnica”) and an overpass at the point where SWB will intersect with the Adriatic Highway nearby the KAP zone. The City defers the OHS responsibility to the contractor(s) that will be involved in construction of the mention segments of the SWB. Construction safety management is the responsibility of the project management contractor who has to ensure that each subcontractor submits, at the tender stage, proof of its good OHS practices in order to be shortlisted for the work. Subcontractors are required to prepare a work method statement for all activities (e.g., demolition, excavation, electrical work, welding), specifying how to reduce or eliminate potential risks. As the planned roadway mostly goes in parallel and in between high-voltage 110 kV cable transmission lines the construction method statement will have to establish “No Approach” zones around or under high voltage power lines in conformance with IFC General EHS Guidelines. The method statements and permits to work will be signed by the construction management in advance of the relevant activities. Safety induction meetings will be regularly conducted, and incident statistics maintained. A site management plan, safety & health plan, including emergency response and hazardous material/waste management plans are obligatory under national OHS law. Health and safety advisors will be appointed on the construction site during working hours. The contractor has to commit to provision of workforce accommodation through the development of on-site, if necessary, or off-site accommodation. These activities have to be conducted in compliance with relevant laws and best practice according to the IFC PS2
PS3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement
Pollution Prevention:
- Wastewater: Wastewater from the construction site, maintenance facilities and from rest areas will be discharged to properly designed and operated on-site septic systems. A sewage collection line will be constructed parallel to the road; all existing and to-be-built secondary and tertiary sewage pipes from the nearby settlements and industry will be connected to enable safe discharge of household and industrial waste water to a new waste water treatment plant to-be-constructed in the future south of KAP.
- Storm Water Management: Podgorica has an average monthly rainfall of 140 mm/m2 or 1600 mm /m2 annually; maximum precipitation occurs in autumn when heavy rains can cause flash floods bringing high sediment loads. Construction of paved roads increases the amount of impermeable surface area, which increases the rate of surface water runoff. High rain flow rates can lead to stream erosion and flooding and may contaminate soil with oil and grease, metals (e.g. lead, zinc, copper, cadmium, chromium, and nickel), particulate matter and other pollutants released by vehicles on the roadway. In order to prevent and mitigate potential negative influence of these elements on the land along the road and particularly on the river Moraca the SWB design includes the construction of storm water collection system and sand and oil/grease traps. The drainage will be enabled by storm and sewage system through water gullies, which will provide for safe discharge of the treated storm water into the river Moraca at the bridge crossing point. Two oil separators of 250 l capacity on the left bank of the river and one of 250 l on the right bank will be equipped with a filtration system . In addition to the oil separators, the sand traps/sedimentation basins with screens will be installed to prevent clogging of the system by bulky debris.
- Solid Waste Management: Solid waste is generated during the construction and maintenance of roads and associated structures and this may include road litter, illegally dumped waste, or general solid waste from rest areas; vegetation waste from right-of-way maintenance; and sediment and sludge from rain fall drainage system maintenance (including sand sediment traps and oil/water separation systems). Management of the waste during the operations will fall under the maintenance contractor/street sweeping utility which is part of the City Utility Department. Hazardous waste water/material e.g. from oil separators will be collected by an authorized agency and stored on a secure place awaiting further processing abroad as Montenegro does not have adequate facilities that can treat such waste.
- Air Emissions and Dust: The main sources of combustion-related air emissions during construction will be construction machinery including back-up diesel generators. Low sulfur content will be part of supply criteria for diesel fuel. The principal source of airborne dust pollution during construction will be equipment operating on site. Potential risks are higher in summer as the traffic flows in the direction to the Adriatic coast increases by at least three times the average as compared to the winter period. A construction management plan will be in place to manage the movement of construction vehicles and it will include information on the volume, type and routing of construction traffic and outline the measures that will be adopted to minimize its impact, such as details of diversions needed during the construction period, signage, and maintenance of accesses to properties. Specific measures will be designed for contractor management, with specific focus on truck fleet maintenance, cleaning/washing tires prior to the entering the road in use by public transport and driving behavior and training.
- Noise: Although noise impact was assessed to be limited, for the construction phase the contractor will develop procedures to control ambient noise at nearest receptors through selection of adequate low-noise producing land-based equipment, including compressors, generators, ventilation and air conditioning units. There will not be night-time construction activities. Traffic noise during the operations is expected to exceed max allowable values for a number of households or businesses located along the corridor especially during the summer touristic season. Based on the analysis performed so far it is established that day and night time noise pollution will exceed IFC guideline daytime and nighttime limits of 55 dB(A) and 45 dB(A) respectively at distance up to 175 meter from both sides of the road. After the SWB is open for traffic the City will commission, as specified in ESAP attached to this document, the noise measurement to establish prevention and mitigation measures for those recipients that will be affected the most by noise. Noise control measures may include noise barriers along the border of the right-of way (e.g. walls, and vegetation), legally limiting the speed of vehicles, insulation of nearby building structures (typically consisting of window replacements), and use of road surfaces that generate less pavement/tire noise such as stone-matrix asphalt (SMA). SMA is one of several alternative surfaces that can be used in new roads to provide a quieter surface.
- Hazardous Materials Management: As part of the contractor’s construction management plan a hazardous materials management procedure will be established during the operations phase for appropriate selection, purchasing, storage and handling of fuels and chemicals which will be used on the site. Fuel storage will be fully contained and spill response equipment will be present on site. The contractor will prepare a fuel management plan and a spill control, prevention, and countermeasure plan as a specific component of their Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) are minimal and limited to fuel used for annual maintenance of the section of the SWB that is subject to IFC financing (approx 3,6 km) and electric energy spent for the illumination. In total approx 115 tons of CO2/year will be emitted.
PS4: Community Health, Safety and Security
Aspects of community safety are regulated by several laws including Law on Traffic Safety, Law on Roads, Law on safety at Work, Rulebook on Traffic Signs, Law on Noise Protection, and Law on Emergency Preparedness and Response. As part of the main construction design a separate procedure on Fire protection has been drafted, which is designed in compliance with Montenegrin Codes and applicable European Norms.
Emergency situations include accidents involving single or multiple vehicles, pedestrians, collision with the existing high voltage transmission lines poles and/or the release of oil or hazardous materials. Road operators will prepare an emergency preparedness and response plan in coordination with the local community and local emergency responders to provide timely first aid response in the event of accidents and hazardous materials response in the event of spills. The most significant community impacts are likely to result from construction road traffic involving heavy machinery, loaders, bulldozers and trucks and transport of raw materials and construction waste to and from site. These will be limited by drivers training and design of routes and are not expected to be significant. Also engineering controls incorporated into the main design, such as a construction management plan, should limit the impacts of these activities on communities. The Company will provide an on-site emergency response team. During the operations phase the most important community safety considerations will be pedestrian safety, traffic safety and emergency response. The SWB design includes the following features that should help prevent accidents: (i) installation and maintenance of appropriate signs, signals, markings, and other devices used to regulate traffic, specifically those related to pedestrian facilities or bikeways, (ii) construction of pedestrian crossings with the maximum consideration of pedestrian movement along sidewalks, (iii) installation of barriers to deter pedestrian access to the roadway except at designated crossing points, etc.
In order to enable an undisturbed functioning of traffic in the entire land area around the construction site the sponsor agreed to design and implement a number of crossroads not envisaged by original Detailed Urban Plan (DUP). To that extent, an undisturbed functioning of traffic in the entire land area covered by the plan needs to be ensured until the implementation of the complete secondary road network. Due to the proximity of the road to the industrial zone and the safety issues associated with that the sponsor has decided to change original alignment and to design the diversion around the industrial zone of KAP.
The planned roadway mostly goes in parallel and in between high-voltage 110 kV cable transmission lines. The appropriate Survey on the alignment of transmission lines and the roadway has been developed, defining necessary technical solutions. As the SWB alignment is crossed by one 10kV transmission line and two 10kV cables the design envisages underground cabling of the transmission lines and the appropriate securing of the existing cables. The technical specifications for the construction of the road have established that the minimum distance between the road shoulder and a transmission line pole needs to be 8 meters. With the view to protecting the transmission line poles, appropriate concrete walls will be constructed. Podgorica is located in seismic Zone VIII-IX thus special attention has been given to seismic loads during the analysis and the design of the structural elements, bridge and overpass section. Structural design for bridges, underpasses, and other structural elements is carried out in accordance with the requirements of Euro-code 8.
Security: During the construction phase site access control and security procedures will be in place. Security services are subcontracted and managed by an established security service provider that has formal procedures and codes of conduct that dictate the conduct to be maintained in all situations. This is not deemed to be a significant risk to communities in Podgorica.
PS5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement
The Project will lead to the economic displacement of 4 households. Land acquisition is being planned and implemented according to the Montenegrin Law on Expropriation. The City has developed detailed expropriation plan for SWB containing the list of affected households and the area of land subject to expropriation. Negotiations are underway in relation to the households requiring economic displacement, and it is anticipated that these cases will be dealt with via a negotiated settlement involving compensation payments based on market value and linked to purchase of alternative land and any associated relocation costs. The project affected persons can contact/visit the Property Directorate at any time during the process. As part of the previous agreement with the City i.e. Podgorica Eastern Bypass a grievance mechanism in developed which the affected households can use in order to file complaints, if necessary. According to the City there have been no significant issues or concerns raised to date vis-a-vis implementation of the land acquisition and expropriation process for the Eastern Bypass.
