Begej Canal to connect Serbia and Romania once more – What does the revitalization plan entail

Begej watercourse will become navigable again after more than 60 years, once the canal revitalization project is finished.

One step closer to renewing nautical connection between Serbia and Romania was made possible by designing Draft spatial plan for the special purpose area for revitalization of the Begej Canal.

The Provincial Secretariat for Urban Planning and Environmental Protection developed the plan commissioned by the The Institute of Urban Planning of Vojvodina.

The plan encompasses the cadastral municipality of Zrenjanin – Zrenjanjin 3, Janko's Bridge and Klek, Zitiste, Begejci, Novi Itebej and Srpski Itebej in Zitiste municipality.

The plan envisages dredging the settled sludge from the Romanian border to hydro technical complex Klek and its storage and treatment, the reconstruction of the navigation lock in Srpski Itebej and the docking station and the mooring area in Zrenjanin. Also, a new 32km-long bike lane will be built from Klek to the Romanian border.

As stated in the planning documentation, the revitalization of the Begej Canal is a project of international significance since the canal has a remarkable infrastructural and tourist potential.

Dredging process will be carried out with dredging boats as well as land-based machinery, with excavators with the minimum reach of 20 m so the entire canal could be accessible for dredging. Prior to this process, the vegetation from the canal bank will be removed.

It is noted that aside from the construction of the bike lane, other public spaces and facilities could be set up in the coastal area for the purpose of nautical tourism, sports and recreation such as parks, excursion spots, docks, wharfs, ports, marinas, rowing clubs, water facilities and water management complexes, bridges, tourist complexes and a border crossing.

“Revitalization of navigational infrastructure of Begej Canal” project is worth EUR 13.85 million (out of which EUR 11.77 million is an EU donation) is financed through Interreg –IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Romania-Serbia.

JP Zavod za urbanizam Vojvodine Novi Sad

Pokrajinski sekretarijat za urbanizam i zaštitu životne sredine Novi Sad

Grad Zrenjanin

Opština Žitište

Begej Canal

Janko's Bridge

Klek

Zitište

Begejci

Novi Itebej

Srpski Itebej

revitalization of Begej Canal

dredging of Begej Canal

Interreg –IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Romania-Serbia

construction of storage facility

dredging of settled sludge

navigable canals