Traffic opens for the road axis, Thumanë-Kashar/Rama: This is what Albania will be like in 2030

2024-06-30 20:55:00, Sociale CNA

Traffic opens for the road axis, Thumanë-Kashar/Rama: This is what Albania

Edi Rama, Belinda Balluku, Mirela Kumbaro

This Sunday afternoon, the I rri road axis, Thumanë-Kashar, was opened for vehicle traffic. This road is a Category A highway of the European Union, and the first segment of the Blue Corridor, which precedes the three new construction sites Thumane - Milot, Kashar - Lekaj and Lekaj - Fier. Present at the inauguration of this facility, Prime Minister Rama said that this road is what Albanians can see Albania in 2030

"They can see what Albania is in 2030. Within this period from Muriqan to Vlora it should be like this. This is the blue corridor. Meanwhile, the 8th corridor will be completed. Very soon I will start for Ndroq and the Tirana-Durres highway will be expanded. The road to Ndroq will be a panoramic touristic route, it will be an alternative crossing and a very pleasant crossing. I am worried about the people of Dibra. The first thing that Murrizi tunnel is the fixation in the fight with geology. We are walking in Murriz and we don't want to talk, set deadlines. But if the power of the owners of Dibra is also there, we will have the tunnel before the end of the year. I saw a news that the Arbirt road will be tolled. There will be no payment for the Arbri road', said Prime Minister Rama during the inspection.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, said that the state will benefit from 2% of the maintenance concession fee.

"We are at the moment of the opening of the first type A highway in our country, the 21 km Thumanë-Kashar axis, which is available starting today for all drivers. We used the 35-year concession, the investment is worth 271 million euros, all available from the concessionaire. The cost per km is set by ÚBIF. It is a convenient instrument since the Albanian state has not engaged in anything except the expropriations that belong to the Expropriation Agency. We will receive 2% of the maintenance concession fee. It took us only 15 months to complete this work, but that is a complete record."

Passing on this road will be subject to payment, the value of which will depend on the type of vehicle, but which will not be lower than 2.1 euros. This fee will be calculated every year, and the private company will be able to increase it depending on the fluctuations of the euro exchange rate. But there will also be alternative routes, and the passage will be free of charge for citizens. The Thumane-Kashar axis is one of the most important of the "Blue Corridor" that connects the north with the south, with a total value of 226 million euros, and in the 35 years of the contract, the concessionaire expects to earn 1.3 billion euros./CNA