An association of citizens from Skopje’s central Debar Maalo district is protesting against plans by Mayor Petre Silegov to punch a new boulevard through the city core and a bridge over the Vardar river leading to a tunnel under the Kale hill.

The elevated boulevard and the bridge are planned just west of the Government building, toward the Kale hill. Silegov insists that, along with the tunnel, they will ease congestion in Skopje and link two densely populated areas on the opposite banks of the river. But local residents, who currently enjoy the peaceful park that begins at the Government building, are appalled.

This move would hugely increase the chaos and pollution in a city which already tops European lists of most polluted cities. We ask Mayor Silegov to stop his plan, which actually dates half a century ago and is based on an antiquidated, car centric approach, the association of citizens says in an open letter to the public.

The association blames Silegov of wanting to build his own Skopje 2014 project – the major urban redevelopment plan implemented by the Government of Nikola Gruevski, which was angrilly denounced by the SDSM party Silegov belongs to.