Tepelena and its scenic natural landscapes are being gradually revealed and they will easy accessible thanks to the new infrastructure that is revitalizing many roads, parts of which were not rehabilitated since the World War I years.

The 14-km long road in Salari will link the town of Tepelene with the amazing mountainous landscape of Nivice providing tourists another motive to stop by and visit these breathtaking areas, home to outstanding natural beauties. “The road linking Dukaj and Salari is being asphalted. The segment once was part of the national road until the ‘70s, when the road leading to Memaliaj was built. In certain parts, the new road stretches along the old road’s trace built by Italians since World War I and it was never asphalted again since then so that it becomes a decent national or regional road as it deserves to be. So the road stretches up to the village of Sinanaj, easing road connection with Tepelene. This is the last segment yet to become accessible in the entire region of Tepelene,” lawmaker Bledi Çuçi, also Minister of Interior, said as he accompanied Prime Minister Edi Rama during an inspection of the road under construction.

“It is a long-awaited investment for local residents,” Tepelene Mayor Tërmet Peçi said, adding that the old road was built in 1920 by Italians and the 14.5 km segment is now being built for the first time and it will link and provide the remote region of Lopes access to the national roads, and the entire area of Vlora. The distance between here and Vlora is just 13 kilometres and this road will stretch further to link this area with Borsh. Once the first 4-km segment to Salari completes, a super investment will kick off to build the remaining 10 kilometers of the road to the village of Nivice, which would be translated into complete connection between entire part of Laberi area overlooking Vjosa river and then Vlora, Himare and Gjirokaster,” Mayor Peçi said.

While inspecting the ongoing construction work and after being familiarized with the project, the government head noted that the region of Tepelene has already been transformed into the epicentre of a tourist map that includes Gjirokaster, Vlora and Himare. You, Tepelena residents already know, and others will gradually and certainly learn in the next three or four years, when this whole infrastructure is completely rehabilitated, that from a fake pocket – and it was really a sort of a fake pocket, where nobody dared to visit – will be transformed into a fantastic national asset and a real epicentre of a tourist map, which features Gjirokastra, Vlora and Himare. In other words, the integrated tourist offer which transforms this whole miracle of nature, which was completely abandoned and had become a kind of a curse to the local residents, is not transformed into a thematic and tourist park, featuring many stations for visitors to admire nature, tradition and hospitality.”