TIRANA, March 7 /ATA-By Maela Marini/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama inspected ongoing works on construction of the Librazhd-Përrenjas road in southeast Albania on Saturday, saying the recent collapse along the route was caused by geological factors and heavy rainfall rather than construction faults.
The government head, accompanied by Infrastructure and Energy Minister Enea Karakaçi, visited the site where traffic has now resumed through a temporary diversion along the planned route of Corridor VIII, a regional transport and energy route linking the Adriatic and the Black Sea.
Rama said claims that the road had collapsed due to corruption or construction problems were manipulation and speculations, stressing that the incident occurred on the old road alignment and that the new section has not yet been built in that area.
According to Rama, the landslide was triggered by geological conditions and soil saturation following heavy rainfall, adding that landslides have long been an issue for residents in the area.
He described Corridor VIII as one of Albania’s most important strategic infrastructure projects, noting that work continues despite unexpected challenges that can occur during construction.
Karakaçi said a massive landslide in February involving about 70,000 tonnes of debris forced authorities to temporarily halt traffic. Crews worked around the clock for about 10 days to clear the site and build a provisional road, which reopened to vehicles in early March.
He added that the rehabilitation plan includes building a 1.3-km alternative road along the Shkumbin River near the railway line, while construction continues on other sections of the roughly 33-km Corridor VIII project.
/r.e/u.sh/
