TIRANA, Dec. 17 – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development recently announced that procurement procedures for the Vlora-Orikum and Shengjin-Baks-Rrjoll roads will begin during the first months of next year. The 50 million euros loan given out by the EBRD, aimed at interconnecting local and regional roads, and made possible by the EBRD, aims at revitalizing local economies and with a special focus on tourism, through the interconnection of local and regional roads.
The rehabilitation and improvement of the Vlora-Orikum road seeks to put an end to the ongoing traffic problems in the area, especially during the summer season when tourism is at its peak. The project towards the Shengjin-Baks-Rrjoll has the same objective. The EBRD announced that the procedure of the contracts on the two roads will begin after February 24 and will then go on to include other aspects such as the monitoring and support of the Albanian Development Fund team, which is also the institution responsible for the project.
The Local and Regional Road Connectivity program includes two aspects that are being funded by the EBRD as well as the World Bank and are located primarily in areas with high agricultural and tourist potential.
Thus, the project will include real interventions to increase the dimensions of the turbines and bridges, provide additional protection to minimize the effects of landslides, modification of asphalt formulas to withstand high temperatures as well as increase the dimension of the side channels. As for road safety, the program brings innovative aspects in terms of the standards of infrastructure projects that have been implemented so far; measures to improve traffic signs will include interventions in sidewalks and bike lanes, lines, vertical signs and tourist signs.
