A new road linking Kardhiq and Delvine, a strategic road segment that will open up significant new areas of tourism potential and economic development of this area in southern Albania, will be the next testimony to the standards of the government’s national roads upgrading, construction and maintenance programme. Prime Minister Edi Rama inspected the ongoing works to construct the road’s sections 5 and 6. The road’s reviewed project includes construction of a tunnel. The Head of the Albanian Road Authority Afrim Qendro said that construction works are running on schedule. “These are other two segments of the road. The two segments have a combined length of 8 kilometres. The construction works and contracts are progressing very well although road passes through the harsh terrain of the mountainous area. The reviewed project includes a six-kilometre road segment stretching from Shijan to Saranda and this segment was not included in the project’s initial phase. With the construction works complete, we will focus on improving the traffic signs and road safety elements,” Qendro said.

Prime Minister Edi Rama noted that special attention is being placed on construction and road safety standards, which also represents the core of the change with the previous projects, adding that according to the standards applied by the previous government this road segment would have been considered complete. “They [previous government] built two inauguration squares and included the Delvine-Kardhiq road on the list of 10 000 kilometres of finished roads,” the Premier said in his remarks.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Damian Gjiknuri noted that this is the project’s most difficult part as it stretches along a harsh and mountainous terrain, describing the road project “an engineering challenge as it includes works in a mountainous terrain.” The project has already started to yield its first positive effects – according to Gjiknuri – as it is helping to boost employment in the town of Saranda, however adding that employing skilled workers remains a challenge. “The project includes almost all local construction companies and has created a significant number of new jobs. All construction firms are working in certain parts of the road project. I have met people in Saranda in person. The project has a significant chain impact and it provides employment opportunities for local residents. However, finding skilled workers and technicians is a challenge facing all companies,” Gjiknuri said.

PM Rama highlighted the fact that the road project will give a fresh impetus to development of both local and national economy. “The new construction projects will produce considerable effects on the country’s economic growth. With regards to employment, inclusion of local construction companies in the entire chain of this process it is a positive development. We should include the infrastructure and construction companies in the vocational training programs so that they train their workers and then hire them,” the Premier said.