Vlora, 14 July 2022 – EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, visited today the EU-funded Vlora bypass.

The 29-kilometre road segment will shorten the traveling time towards the Albanian Riviera, increase road safety, reduce air pollution and bring new opportunities for Albanian businesses.

The EU has supported the construction of the Vlora bypass with 20 million Euro. In addition, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as lead international financial institution and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have provided loans of 18 million EUR each.

During the joint press conference with Prime Minister Rama, Commissioner Várhelyi said: “I am delighted to visit today the Vlora bypass. This is a fine example of our bilateral assistance to Albania, and shows how we can make a difference for the region thanks to our Economic and Investment plan. The Vlora bypass brings new opportunities for Albanian businesses to reach new markets, better access to services for citizens and a better travel experience for tourists, while increasing road safety for all and improving the air quality in Vlora.”

Prime Minister Rama said: “We are returning back here, together with the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, the ARRSH (Albanian Road Authority) team and the workers who continue to take care of details outside the road track, for further improvements of urban and environmental requalification nature. Today it was made possible for a valued friend, other than the European Commissioner for Enlargement, to be here, since he could not be with us on July 7, the announced day for the opening of the bypass, which was necessary to relieve the flow of cars, especially on weekends.”

Ahead of the press conference, the Commissioner and the Prime Minister inspected the site, accompanied by the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, the EIB representative in Albania, Petia Manolova, and the Head of EBRD for Albania, Ekaterina Solovova.

The bypass around the city of Vlora is a vital connection in south-western Albania. It will improve road transport conditions in Vlora town and in surrounding areas, including on the coastal road along the Vlora bay. This road segment will bring benefits to tourism, stimulate the private sector and facilitate trade, promote regional and national growth as well as contribute to economic and social cohesion.

Background:

The bypass is 29 km long and includes five bridges, two underpasses and 15 roundabouts and T-shaped intersections. The project has been one of the Albanian Government’s transport priorities.

As of 30 June 2022, the main works of the bypass have been completed, however with some remaining works pending. Full asphalt layering has been placed on the first 10 km, one of the three planned layers for the second 10 km, and two of three layers for the last 9 km. All the structures have been completed, as well as the majority of connections (roundabouts, junctions), safety measures, markings and signs

The remaining works will be executed after the summer season of 2022 and by means of careful scheduling, road safety measures, and traffic management plans, in coordination with the law enforcement authorities.