Roads that (don't) lead to the EU

When the European Parliament reclassified Corridor VIII to the main European Transport Network (TEN-T) in December 2022, the Albanian government passed the event in silence, as the internal agenda was focused on the Durrës Yachts Marina project, investments in the Llogora tunnel , solar panels, etc.

The inclusion of Corridor VIII among the ten most important European arteries is the most important event in the infrastructure sector in the last 30 years.

The criteria for inclusion in the important European arteries require high-standard roads, accompanied by high-speed rail and power transmission lines. Its financing is taken over by the European Union (EU), which has set the deadline for its completion in 2030.

The new artery will strengthen the Albanian ports of Durres and Vlora, which will have to cope with the flow of goods and passengers from the southern part of Italy to the Mediterranean, from Albania to the ports of Burgas on the Black Sea, while train travel in Europe it will become functional for Albanians as well.

The government's silence is not related to any malice towards the project, but due to the fact that the Albanian side was not involved in the lobbying campaign for the reclassification of Corridor VIII and thus, did not convey the news to the media about this important event, as usually happens.

The inclusion of Corridor VIII has taken the country by surprise, since the priority list of public investments, available to the Ministry of Finance, includes several internal arteries, which, according to experts in the field, in addition to consuming budget funds, have no economic value either.

The Government of Albania has spent 213 billion ALL (2 billion euros) on road infrastructure from 2014 to 2022, according to INSTAT data, but large investment projects such as the Great Ring of Tirana, the Arbri Road, the Nation's Road , Qukës - Qafë-Plloë, Kardhiq - Delvinë, have entered the second decade of financing and the works have not yet been completed.

The Llogora tunnel received almost 30% of the investments in road infrastructure, of local importance, while millions of euros are going to PPP concessions with high costs and dubious standards.

While the National Transport Strategy 2016-2020, approved by the Albanian government itself, considers investments in railways in the bypass of Tirana, Shkodra, Elbasan and in road corridors feasible, the government has led the investments to dead ends like Qukës - Qafë- Pllokë, Ruğan e Arbri, etc.

Tani, në vend që të ndihmojë në përshpejtimin e punimeve në Korridorin VIII, i cili mund të financohet nga BE, pala shqiptare ka hapur disa problematika të reja, që do të na kushtojnë. Zhvendosja e Portit të Durrësit, si një nga portet kryesore të Korridorit VIII, nga vendi aktual në Porto Romano, ka rritur shqetësimet në BE për vonesat që mund të krijojë në bërjen eficiente të projektit deri më 2030.

Gjithashtu, një devijim në aksin e fundit të Korridorit VIII në pjesën shqiptare shihet nga inxhinierët një zgjidhje e pastudiuar dhe me kosto të larta. Bëhet fjalë për segmentin e fundit në territorin shqiptar, i cili devijon nga aksi ekzistues tek Ura e Bushtricës në Qukës, për 10 kilometra, në një trase krejt të re.

Një nga inxhinierët e njohur në vend tha se ky devijim, që anashkalon të paktën tre alternativa, do të jetë më i kushtueshëm dhe për më tepër, bëhet në një terren që kërkon kosto të larta mirëmbajtje pas përfundimit.

Ndërkohë që vendi fqinj, Maqedonia e Veriut, ka kontraktuar për punimet në pjesën e saj të Korridorit VIII kompaninë “Bechtel Enka”, pala shqiptare po zbaton standarde të ndryshme për segmente të ndryshme.

Vendi ka shansin që, duke qenë pjesë e projekteve të korridoreve paneuropiane, të investojë dhe të përmirësojë infrastrukturën që është aq e domosdoshme për zhvillimin, sidomos në këto momente kur është kthyer në një destinacion i fuqishëm turistik.

But the lack of vision, not to mention the misorientation of projects towards PPPs or unstudied tracks, risks devaluing these benefits, as shown by the fact that, so far, we are the last in the Balkans for attracting infrastructure projects. /Monitor

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