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CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the Qukës-Qafë Plloçë axis?

2025-09-13 14:01:00, Aktualitet CNA

On September 5, 2025, the long-awaited Qukës–Qafë Plloçë road segment, one of the most important infrastructure projects of the last decade in Albania, was officially opened to traffic. This 43 km long road was designed to connect the southeastern area with Tirana more quickly and to offer a safer and shorter alternative to the old road, with its dangerous curves.

Work on this axis began in 2009, but the segment has gone through a series of ups and downs, such as delays, interruptions, contract changes and financial problems, to be completed only after 16 years. The final cost of the road has reached about 240 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive investments in road infrastructure.

To understand the real impact of this axis in facilitating movement, journalist Iris Rezhda, together with CNA staff, undertook a journey from Korça to Tirana, to measure the time and distance covered with the opening of the new segment.

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

"We are leaving the city of Korça towards Tirana. It will be CNA TV that will bring this entire journey to viewers, to see how long it will take to travel through the new Qafë Plloçë - Qukës segment, and then we will update you with all the stops along the way to the capital."

The journey started from the city of Korça, initially following the national road, a route that for years has been the only connection between the southeast and the capital. After 31 km and 30 minutes of travel, we arrived at the entrance to the new Qafë Plloçë–Qukës segment.

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

"After 31 km, we arrive at the entrance to the new Qafë Plloçë - Qukës segment. We have traveled 30 minutes so far. We will see in the future how long this segment will take to Qukës."

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

The Qafë Plloçë–Qukës segment is a transformative intervention for the southeastern region. It bypasses an old road, with numerous curves that were a risk for road accidents, creating a new faster and safer route. The axis also creates a new opportunity for economic and tourist development, as it facilitates access to Korça and beyond.

"We have just arrived at the end of the new segment, precisely in Qukës. Since the departure in Qafë-Plloçë until now, we have traveled 41 km, while the time period has reached 45 minutes. If we calculate since the departure from the city of Korça, a total of 72 km have been traveled so far and the time period has reached 1 hour and 15 minutes."

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

Then, the journey continued towards Librazhd, one of the most important points of the route on the axis that leads to Elbasan and further to the capital. Librazhd is also expected to benefit from this investment, as the flow of passengers and the circulation of goods will increase significantly.

"We have just arrived in the city of Librazhd. We have so far covered a distance of 20 km in 23 minutes. Since leaving the city of Korça, we have so far covered 92 km with a time distance of 1 hour and 38 minutes."

On the Librazhd–Elbasan segment, travel was slowed down due to ongoing works. Drivers should be careful, as temporary signage due to the works makes traffic difficult.

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

"The next stop is the city of Elbasan. After a distance of 24 km from Librazhd, we arrived and made this route in 37 minutes. The delay was due to the works being carried out on the new segment that will connect Librazhd with Elbasan and due to the reduced speed on this road segment."

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

Despite the works, the journey continued normally towards Tirana, where the total distance and time were measured, respecting the road restrictions imposed by the ARRSH, thus completing the entire itinerary starting from Korça.

"We just arrived in Tirana, at our final destination. From the departure in the city of Korça, passing through the new road segment Qafë Plloçë - Qukës, we have covered a total distance of 158.2 km, while in time it has reached 2 hours and 45 minutes, respecting all road restrictions set by the Albanian Road Authority. Before the opening of the new segment, the distance to the capital reached 167 km and in terms of arrival time, it would be 3 hours and 20 minutes. Today this distance is shortened by 14 km and also by 30 minutes in time. If it is claimed that the distance from Korça to the capital will be covered in 2 hours, this only happens with drivers who violate road traffic rules. Among other things, we recall that works are still ongoing on the Qukës - Elbasan segment and upon completion of the entire bypass, the time it will take from Korça to Tirana will be "It's 1 hour and 30 minutes."

CNA FIELD OBSERVATION/ How much time is saved with the opening of the

CNA's field observation shows that, although the road is now open, the actual travel time from Korça to Tirana is 2 hours and 45 minutes, respecting traffic restrictions. The actual benefit is a time saving of 30 minutes and 14 km less in distance, compared to the old road.

The cost of this investment has exceeded 240 million dollars, while the works on the Qukës-Elbasan segment and the connection to the Elbasan Bypass still remain to be completed. The expectations are that, after the completion of all supporting infrastructure, the journey will take 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Until then, this investment remains an improvement for the connection of the southeast with the rest of the country, although the full fulfillment of the promises still requires time until the full completion of the remaining works for Corridor VIII, one of the pan-European corridors expected to connect the Adriatic with the Black Sea./ CNA





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