Construction of a new road is a long-cherished dream of the local residents in Shijak over the past 30 years which has come true through a government-funded project implemented by the Albanian Development Fund (ADF).

The new 5-km long road, also known as “Four Shijak Roads”, ultimately frees local residents of the nightmare from a degraded road full of potholes. The new road has been extended to five kilometres from its existing length of 3.5 kilometres and it has been widened up to 6 metres. “The change is pretty obvious,” local residents say. More than 150 families and 44 businesses along the road are direct beneficiaries from this investment, Shijak Mayor Elton Arbana said.

Taking advantage of the Prime Minister’s presence, Shijak residents voiced their concern over the abusive privatization of the school’s yard, which they described as “an open wound” on the town’s body. The Premier pledged that the site will be restored back to the school. “We will include it in the schools reconstruction programme and transform it into a huge sports ground for the community,” the Premier said.