Highway tunnel linking Kosovo-Albania to be opened

29 May, 2009 (Kosovo Times) – The Albanian side of the modern highway linking the sea port of Durrës in Albania and the Merdare border gate between Kosovo and Serbia is coming to an end. This Sunday Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha is meeting with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi on the last stretch of the six kilometre long tunnel going under the extreme rocky mountains of Albania reducing the road line from 100 km stretching over the top of mountains to only 6 km of the new tunnel build by Bechtel-Enka.

The tunnel is located on the 57th km of the highway and will decrease the travelling time form Albania to Kosovo from 6 to 2.5 hours.

The new highway includes also a number of daring new bridges making this highway one of the architectonic miracles in the region. The Kosovo side of the highway is due to start this year connecting Kosovo’s borders with Albania and Serbia.