TIRANA, April 19 – The first 13 km of the Tirana-Elbasan highway will cost the Albanian government an extra $30 million following massive landslides in the past couple of years, the transport ministry has announced.
Back in 2014 massive landslides following uncontrolled explosions and difficult terrain led to the evacuation of some 30 households and caused damage to local businesses.
The Albanian Road Authority says the total amount needed to complete the highway linking Tirana to Elbasan following five landslides in its first 13 km segment is $30 million or 10 to 15 percent of the project’s total cost.
The new highway cutting travel distance between Tirana and Elbasan, central Albania, has been partially operational since 2013 when a double-bore 2.5 km tunnel was built. The tunnel was completed by Greece’s Aktor under an $83 million winning bid. The Kerrabe tunnel is part of the Tirane-Elbasan highway, a 27-km four-lane highway, worth $204 million, which is still under construction.
The highway, which has cut the distance to Elbasan from the current 48 kilometres to only 31 kilometres, has four lanes and two tunnels, saving passengers to Elbasan 40 minutes in travel time.
Back in 2012, Kuwait’s Copri Construction and Greece’s Aktor joined to complete the Tirana-Elbasan highway under a $170 mln deal. Overwhelmingly funded by Arab financial institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, and the OPEC Fund for International Development, the highway has already considerably cut distance between capital Tirana and Elbasan, the third most populated region of Albania, and a hub to the southeastern Albania.
The highway is considered the country’s biggest infrastructural project after the Durres-Kukes-Morine highway linking Albania to Kosovo, which was fully completed in October 2010.
