Works begin on the Skopje-Blace highway, the project includes five tunnels and eight bridges

The foundation stone for the last ten kilometers of the Skopje-Blace road was laid today in the presence of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the state leaders of North Macedonia and representatives of the EU and EBRD. Works on this segment are expected to be completed within four years.

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, described the start of works as a historic moment, underlining that the project is beginning to be realized after more than 20 years.

Mickoski stated that this project is being turned into reality by the Government led by OBRM-PDUKM, VLEN and ZNAM. According to him, the construction of the road was one of the commitments made at the beginning of the mandate and one of the main priorities of the Government. He expressed the expectation that the works on the ground will advance significantly and the project will be completed in record time. The Prime Minister also emphasized that the works will be carried out by a Macedonian company, which, according to him, will bring added value to the country's economy and will open more jobs for the citizens of North Macedonia.

On the other hand, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that the new axis will bring Kosovo and North Macedonia, as well as the citizens of both countries, closer together. He assessed that the importance of the project goes beyond improving infrastructure.

According to Kurti, the Skopje-Blacë highway, with five tunnels, eight bridges and eight galleries, will strengthen the infrastructure connection between Kosovo and North Macedonia. He said that the road will make movement easier and will create new opportunities for the citizens of both countries. Kurti added that every new kilometer constitutes an investment in the lives of citizens and in the economic development of both countries, while it will enable businesses to transport goods more easily and create new partnerships. He stressed that the axis is part of the European "Ten T" network, which brings Skopje closer to Pristina.

The Director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads in North Macedonia, Koce Trajanovski, announced that the difficult terrain has necessitated the inclusion of five tunnels and eight bridges on just 10.5 kilometers of road.

Trajanovski said that the laying of the cornerstone does not only mark the launch of a highway, but also the laying of the foundations for a faster, safer and more connected Macedonia with its neighbors, the region and Europe. According to him, the start of the construction of the Skopje-Blace highway, from the Stenkovec intersection to the Blace border crossing, at a length of about 10.5 kilometers, constitutes an important step towards the completion of this strategic regional connection.

He explained that the selection of the company "Granit" as the contractor created the concrete conditions for the launch of the project. Trajanovski described the investment as particularly important, as it provides connections to the port of Durres, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia through Kosovo.

Financing for the project, according to Trajanovski, was provided by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development worth 167.6 million euros, a grant of 30.82 million euros from the Western Balkans Investment Framework, PESR budget funds for expropriations, and grant funds for designers Hill International and ADT Omega.

Presenting the technical specifications, Trajanovski said that the highway will consist of two lanes, each with two traffic lanes and one stop lane. Its total width will be about 27.5 meters.

According to him, it is the most complex and difficult highway, as in a short segment of only 10.5 kilometers, numerous tunnels, viaducts, bridges and galleries will be built, presenting a challenge for both designers and contractors. Due to the complex hilly and mountainous terrain, the project envisages five left and right tube tunnels, eight bridges, 11 underpasses, four galleries and nine retaining walls. The construction period is four years.