An urban requalification project on the esplanade next to the coast is in full swing in Saranda, a popular coastal town in southern Albania and one of the main tourist destinations on the Albanian Riviera, which will see its waterfront promenade complete ahead of the upcoming summer season. The esplanade along the coast has been currently transformed into an impressive construction site, where work is underway to build the new waterfront promenade, which will welcome many visitors after being totally transformed. The Waterfront Promenade project also includes rehabilitation of a 1.1-km beach line. Pine trees will be planted and small piers will be constructed along the promenade. “The town has taken a completely fresh look as if it was another place,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said as he commented the ongoing works. The Archaeological Museum will be also constructed along the promenade, becoming a fantastic tourist destination.

 

***

The road from the town entrance to its connection with the Ksamil road is another construction site recently launched in the tourist Saranda. The new tourist road will significantly ease the congested traffic during the summer season. Given the loggia galleries along its entire stretch, the road will also offer another opportunity to enjoy the scenery and the landscape of Saranda gulf on the Ionian Sea.

”The road will ultimately put an end to the influx of cars and the congested traffic, especially at the peak of tourism season, when the residential capacities treble. The new segment will also provide an added value to the entire area, which has been a marginalized suburban area. Once the project is complete, the value of properties and businesses will increase significantly,” Saranda Mayor Adrian Gurma said.

Dritan Agolli, the Director of the Albanian Development Fund, said that the road has all the elements of an urban road and gives added value to the area it traverses.

One of the main problems the coastal town of Saranda faces – lawmaker Damian Gjiknuri said – handling  the large influx during summer season and as such construction of the new road is a welcome investment for the town, which welcomes over 800.000 foreign visitors each year.

PM Rama demanded that the road’s aesthetic sense is preserved, not by simply helping to ease the traffic, but also provide a positive feeling in terms of the landscape.

Future projects include major investments in port and airport infrastructure in the town of Saranda.  “Construction of a tourist port will be a blessing to local economy. Whole port activity is currently focused on the influxes of cruise ships coming from Corfu, yet we still lack what the new tourist and yachts port would bring, that is the elite tourism in a completely new area due to be built there and the new jobs such an operate would create. Transformation of the area in a year-round parking place for yachts would automatically attract a considerable number of people who would become part of the city. Those involved in yachts maintenance and service operations will become consumers in the city, or they would become permanent tourists, so to speak, as the number of yachts due to anchor there is estimated at around 400 each year.

Such investments, not only in Saranda, would see the birth of the so-called blue economy, or the sea-based economy, with the Saranda tourist port, Vlora tourist port and the Durres tourist port, due to be constructed by Emaar group, being three main stations that would create a sea-based economic chain, which we have been lacking to date. We are already working in a tourist port project in Shengjin. But we also plan to explore opportunities for such a port in the town of Himare, though a smaller one, but it can become part of the tourist ports infrastructure to give a fresh and positive energy to the area,” he said.

Prime Minister Rama also said that a project on Saranda airport marks another important development, as two companies have in the meantime presented their offers for a contract for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Vlora international airport. “It looks like a winner will be announced for construction of Vlora airport, as two companies have shown interest and as soon as a contract will be awarded for construction of Vlora airport we will launch the procedures for the airport in Saranda,” Rama said.