Work Begins on Elbasan Bypass; Karakaçi: We Are Solving the Traffic Problem

Construction has begun on the Elbasan Bypass, a project aimed at easing traffic in the city and creating a more direct link between the country’s main road axes.

Infrastructure and Energy Minister Enea Karakaçi announced that work has started on the segment continuing from the point where the Tirana–Elbasan highway ends. According to him, the road will be built as a category A highway, with standards similar to the Tirana–Elbasan axis.

“It will be a category A highway, built to the same standards as the Tirana–Elbasan road today. We are solving the traffic problem created over this whole period, especially during the tourist season,” Karakaçi declared.

According to the minister, the Albanian Road Authority has already signed two contracts for the project, while work on the first segment has started and is continuing in the field.

“The first segment, which starts immediately where the Tirana–Elbasan road ends, has already begun. The works are progressing well, because the construction site is also clear thanks to the expropriations carried out earlier. At this stage we are on the first 3 kilometers, which end somewhere at the Elbasan Metallurgical Combine, while next year we will also tender the continuation up to near Peqin,” the minister said.

The Elbasan Bypass is expected to play an important role in organizing traffic and connecting strategic road corridors. The project aims to separate traffic coming from the south and southeast of the country from movements within the city.

The bypass will also create a more integrated link between the Tirana–Elbasan highway, the new Elbasan ring road and the Elbasan–Qafë Thanë corridor, aiming to improve vehicle movement toward the southeast and the Qafë Thanë border crossing.