The Great Ring Road of Tirana is now fully open to traffic, marking the completion of one of the city’s most significant infrastructure projects. This major 29-kilometer initiative will relieve the capital from traffic congestion and is expected to have a profound impact on the economy, traffic flow, property values, and provide opportunities for the growth of new businesses.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, closely followed the opening of the Great Ring Road, which, starting today, now has all its tunnels operational.
“Starting today, the entire ring road is accessible. The northern section of the ring was one of the most difficult parts of this project, especially since it passed through a densely populated area, requiring us to work around and relocate over 654 buildings. Now, it is completely finished. We still have some small details to wrap up by the end of January, but in the meantime, all sections are accessible from various points of the highway. We are currently at Lot 1, which was the most complicated phase we discovered an underground water source that needed to be diverted or managed to ensure the construction could proceed smoothly and we also had to integrate it with the Tirana – Durrës railway. This is a junction that will continue to develop. The entire ring road is now classified as an urban Category A road, with urban amenities such as lighting, overpasses, green spaces, and benches. The December traffic is higher due to a significant flow of vehicles, particularly at the Elbasan exit. We are also seeing many rental cars at the moment, and the next challenge will be the Elbasan bypass. The study for that is already completed, and we have begun the negotiation phase,” said Deputy Prime Minister Balluku.
In addition to alleviating the heavy traffic in the capital, the Great Ring Road is expected to have a positive impact on the economy by boosting property values and fostering the development of new businesses along its route.
