TIRANA, Sept 15 /ATA/ Work has kicked off on the Elbasan bypass, a project aimed at easing traffic and improving circulation along one of Albania’s main road corridors.
Inspecting the site, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Enea Karakaçi said the stretch will be built as a Category A motorway, meeting the same standards as the Tirana–Elbasan highway.
“It is a Category A motorway, built to the same standards as the current Tirana–Elbasan road,” Karakaçi said.
According to him, the project will provide a solution to traffic congestion built up over the years, particularly during the tourist season.
The minister noted: “Two contracts have already been signed by the Albanian Road Authority. The first segment, which begins immediately where the Tirana–Elbasan road ends, has already entered the construction phase.”
He said the works are progressing well, as the site had already been cleared through earlier expropriations. At this stage, construction is under way on the first three kilometres, ending near the Elbasan Metallurgical Plant, while procurement is also planned next year for the continuation of the route towards Peqin.
Karakaçi underlined that the bypass carries strategic importance for traffic organisation, as it will allow the division of flows between Albania’s south‑eastern and southern regions, while also creating an integrated link between the Tirana–Elbasan motorway and the Elbasan–Qafë Thanë corridor.
He said the completion of this project will contribute to creating a more functional road network and to improving safety and mobility for citizens.
Infrastructure Minister Enea Karakaçi said the Elbasan bypass holds strategic importance, linking the Tirana–Elbasan motorway with the Elbasan–Qafë Thanë corridor and dividing traffic flows between the country’s south‑eastern and southern regions. He described the project as an integrated solution to long‑standing congestion across Albania’s road network.
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