Environmental consciousness paves the path to Europe

The construction team cleans the road.

In April, local residents, officials, and Chinese builders gathered in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, to celebrate the completion and opening of the Belgrade - Surcin section of the E763 expressway.

E763 Highway is the first highway constructed in Europe by a Chinese enterprise, the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). With a total length of about 265 kilometers, it is the safest and fastest route from landlocked Serbia to the Adriatic Sea, and also the first infrastructure project implemented under the framework of China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation.

The CCCC is responsible for approximately 131 kilometers of the highway, which is divided into four sections, among which, the Belgrade - Surcin section, which is the starting point, is a modern road with a total length of 7.9 kilometers. After it opened to traffic, it has brought major cities in southwest Serbia within a one-hour travel time to capital, Belgrade, benefiting a population of over 4 million people.

The construction team cleans the road.

"There is a saying in China 'to get rich, first build roads.' Thanks Chinese friends for their continuous support,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during the opening ceremony of the Belgrade - Surcin section on April 1, 2023.

To ensure that the construction meets local green requirement, the project team closely monitored the project site to keep it clean and tidy, with materials placed in an orderly manner. Measures such as covering all exposed soil, planting grass seeds for greening the site, and road washing to reduce dust were implemented. At the same time, a third-party professional organization was entrusted to conduct regular and periodic environmental monitoring, including water quality in the surrounding ditches and channels and soil conditions.

As the environmental hazards of construction waste oil mainly manifest in the pollution of water resources, atmosphere, and soil, the project team arranged a specialized company to promptly clean and recover leaked oil and on-site oil stains.

Additionally, the project also hires a local waste management company to regularly clean and transport domestic waste from the camp area. Sewage treatment equipment was installed in the living area, and oil-water separators were put in the kitchen, areas which were regularly cleaned to prevent water and soil pollution.

"During the two-year construction period, we have never received any environmental complaints," said Zhao Pan, the project leader of the Belgrade - Surcin section.