In the Thumane-Kashar axis, an integral part of the Blue Corridor, the first which belongs to the category A of the European Union, the works are nearing completion, marking 95% of completion so far, while the work for the construction of bridges, overpasses and underpasses, is completely finished.
The new highway extends to the urban and semi-urban areas of Thumana, Fushë-Kruja, Rinas and Vora, giving a long-awaited breath to traffic at a critical point that has been waiting for this European solution for years, while contracts for segments Lekaj – Fier and Thumanë – Milot will be signed in June, as well as the opening of the competition for segments Milot – Balldren and Balldren – Muriqan, which complete the entire body of the Blue Corridor, as part of the European ring of Mediterranean tourism.
The axis meets all road safety parameters, with overpasses, 11 bridges, 12 underpasses and intersections, but also access roads for citizens.
Prime Minister Edi Rama was at the construction site where work is being done in three shifts, to make the completion possible on June 30, and closely inspected the progress of the project, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, who gave a series of technical details on what has been accomplished.
“We have told the construction company the deadline to be June 30. We are working with 12 pavers. The most challenging part we have now is the connection of the Kashari junction. Tonight we entered from the entrance of Rinas, i.e. crossing from Rinas and here we are in the area of Laknas in parallel and on the other side we have Bëxulli. With the opening of this road segment, the return to Rinas is completed and then we have the entrance to Kashari that divides the Tirana-Durres highway, waiting for these days to conclude the negotiation regarding the other track, that is from Kashari to Lekaj, then connecting it to the entire new track. The Kashar-Lekaj trail is completely new.” – explained Deputy Prime Minister Balluku, who continued with the works that are being carried out in parallel.
“Now there are 3 lots, 3 contracts that will be concluded in the following days before the end of June, which are Kashar-Lekaj, then Lekaj-Fier and meanwhile we continue north of this highway with Thumanë-Milot. We are ready to open the competition for Milot-Balldren, while these 3 contracts have already been negotiated and are ready to be signed for the work to start. Our intention is that immediately after that procurement (Milot – Balldren) the race for Balldren – Murriqan will be opened, thus closing the Adriatic-Ionian Corridor for the new part that we have started. Milot-Balldren opens in June, we are ready with the feasibility study and everything else. It must be said that the feasibility study was conducted from WBIF for the entire track. This is the first highway of category A that we have, but others will follow.
Meanwhile, this is the freeway that will be delivered in full form, so not simply with that yellow line that is only in the form of the construction site, however we will need to close some small details. It must be said that we have had good geology here, a non-problematic geology. If it goes at these rates, we believe that we will also deliver those other segments within the fastest deadlines,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku.
In parallel with the Blue Corridor, funding will continue for the realization of Corridor VIII Durrës – Pogradec, where the connection with the European East-West transport network will be realized, completing the skeleton of the road infrastructure of Albania 2030, ready to join the European Union.