Nikoloski in Kičevo: about 360 million denars from government programmes and 30 million for Rudnička Street

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski visited Kičevo on October 31, and after the visit he wrote on Facebook that about 360 million denars, or about six million euros, is being invested in the municipality’s infrastructure through government programmes. He was accompanied by Mayor Aleksandar Jovanovski. The story was carried by Skopje1, MKD.mk, Dina, Plusinfo, Reporter and other outlets. Below we separate the published figures from the context on the motorway.

Rudnička. The reconstruction of Rudnička Street is run by the Ministry of Transport together with the municipality, and its value is about 30 million denars. The first phase is complete, with World Bank support. The second phase began on October 15 with a six-month deadline, which means an end around mid-April 2027 (our calculation). After it is finished, as Nikoloski puts it, the area will have a boulevard look. The value of the second phase and the contractor are not stated.

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The figures in context. About 30 million denars is 8.3 percent of 360 million, or about €490,000 (our calculation). The remaining roughly 330 million denars are not broken down by project in what was published. It is also not stated for what period the 360 million applies or which programmes finance it.

The Ohrid–Kičevo motorway. Nikoloski called it the biggest project for Kičevo and said it is progressing with “excellent dynamics”. He gave no deadline, value or percentage of progress. Reports from earlier months contain more data. The motorway is 57 kilometres long and has been under construction since May 2014, and 34 kilometres have been opened so far, according to Republika in May 2026. The original contract is €411 million. With the 2018 annex the value rose by €186 million, and with an annex of February 2026 by another €186 million, provided by the five largest domestic banks after the Chinese Exim Bank stopped financing.

Deadlines and cost. On October 24 Racin calculated that, according to the latest published calculations, the value is about €803 million, or about €392 million (95 percent) more than the original €411 million. The original deadline was 2018, and the current one is May 31, 2027. In May 2026 Mickoski and Nikoloski said that the motorway would be fully operational in the first quarter of 2027, so the reports differ on the deadline. Nikoloski then said the deadline had been set by the previous government. The reasons cited for the delay and the higher cost are 14 new landslides, the lack of interchanges and access roads in the original design, and poor soil near Botun.

Kičevo–Bukojčani. Nikoloski says construction began on October 11. In May 2026 Republika reported that the section is 11 kilometres long, that the selection of a contractor was under way and that expropriation was 60 percent complete. A deadline, value and contractor for the construction that began are not stated in the reports on this visit.

What we have already written. On October 29 Nikoloski announced two expressways toward Bulgaria and a Kičevo–Ohrid–Struga railway to the Albanian border. That story concerned plans at the level of the state, while this visit is about the investments in Kičevo.

What is not published. It has not been published how the 360 million is divided among programmes, how much of the amount has already been spent, the contracts for the second phase of Rudnička, or the deadlines for the two motorways. Nikoloski says new projects are already being discussed, but does not name them.

What to follow. Whether public procurements and contracts are published, whether the six-month deadline for Rudnička is kept, and whether for the Ohrid–Kičevo motorway the deadline of May 31, 2027 or of the first quarter is confirmed.

MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 1, 2026