SECTION: DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that the only existing railway line with standard gauge on the territory of the Municipality of Rosoman was initiated and built in the late 1970s and early 1980s of the 20th century? The decision for its construction was adopted on November 22, 1977.

The railway line has its starting station in Gradsko and its terminal section near the village of Shivec (the Feni Smelter, for whose needs it was built). Most of the line passes through the territory of the Municipality of Rosoman, since out of a total length of 17 km, as much as 15 km are within the municipality. It runs through the cadastral areas of the settlements: Gradsko, Palikura, Rosoman, Ribartsi, Manastirtsi, Trstenik, and Shivec.

When construction began in 1978, additional protective measures had to be carried out because excavations encountered the main ancient water supply line to Stobi, which caused heavy inflows and flooding from running water. This extended the originally planned construction timeline. In November 1979, necessary protective and conservation archaeological excavations were conducted on the distinctive canalized aqueduct, which features numerous bends due to the terrain along which it was built. In the practice of ancient builders, this style of hydraulic construction applied in the Rosoman area has not been identified in any similar structures elsewhere in the Balkans.

This 17-kilometer railway line was opened to public traffic in December 1982 and operated at full capacity during its first decade. After that, its use gradually declined and today it is almost unused, due to various successive economic and military crises, the disintegration of states and markets, drops in nickel prices, changes in ownership structures, poor business policies, and other factors.

Fig. 1. A moment from the construction of the railway line in 1978.

Fig. 2. A moment from the protective works following the drainage of water from the canalized aqueduct to Stobi.