Another construction site was recently launched to construct the long-awaited road network to bypass the historic area of the museum city of Gjirokaster, a UNESCO world heritage site in southern Albania. The bypass road will provide  a car-free area in the city’s centre, transforming it into a pedestrian space, without hampering the citizens’ movement. The project will also open up a new development perspective for Dunavat neighbourhood, where a project will be launched soon on restoration of the traditional homes, just like it was the case with the dwellings in the Bazaar’s Pass area, which will give a fresh impetus to the tourism entrepreneurship.

The bypass road will lead the traffic directly to the Dunavat neighbourhood, at the back of the castle, bypassing the historic area, which, with the ongoing the main square’s requalification and revitalization project will be transformed into a completely car-free and pedestrian space. This road – lawmaker Bledi Çuçi said – “would reveal a completely different and forgotten city”, which is part of Dunavat neighbourhood, home to traditional and characteristic houses with historic and architectural values.

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that “an agreement has been signed with the government of the Republic of Turkey as part of my recent visit to Ankara to support important investments in restoration of the cultural heritage sites in Gjirokaster and Berat, so that we can keep going with the restoration and revitalization projects. The entire area of Dunavat, which is completely unexplored and a little-visited area, should be transformed into another tourist attraction within the city, complementary to the Bazaar’s Pass area and where new businesses, hotels, and guesthouses should be launched to generate more employment and stronger local economy.”

The government head called for utmost care so that characteristic and traditional elements are well preserved through same architectural language dominant in whole museum city. “The city’s attractions should not be bombarded with the visual noises that would damage the ensemble’s whole harmony.”

PM Rama thinks it is probably the right time for a fresh fiscal approach that could be offered to all of those who embark on reconstruction projects, with incentives including exemption from local government taxes for a certain period of time.