Kovachevski: Kichevo-Ohrid highway construction must gain momentum
Ohrid, 18 November 2022 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, Deputy Prime Ministers Artan Grubi and Fatmir Bytyqi, Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski and State Roads public enterprise director Ejup Rustemi oversaw on Friday the construction works at the Kichevo-Ohrid highway tunnel, urging for observation of the dynamics of construction and the extended deadline by the end of 2023.
Asphalting works on the tunnel at the Kichevo-Ohrid highway are being finalized, and parts of the section have traffic under a temporary regime in place as the construction nears end. In addition, 95 percent of the route has been dug, and over 800 workers and about 400 machines are working on the ground.
PM Kovachevski said the Kichevo-Ohrid highway construction must and will gain momentum, adding that he insisted that it be a priority in daily communication with institutions involved in the construction process. The completion of the highway, he pointed out, is important for Kichevo, Debarca, Struga, Ohrid, Vevchani, for the surrounding settlements that gravitate in this region, as well as for the whole country.
“I’m aware that the workers building this highway have faced many challenges over the past years due to huge lapses in the project itself. It took years to dig the tunnels under the Preseka pass, further delaying work on the ground, so plans had to be adapted according to the conditions on the ground,” said Kovachevski.
The Minister of Transport said the highway must be built in accordance with the agreement with the contractor.
“We have the funds, our teams follow the contractor's needs, the only thing left is intensive construction on the ground. When many thought this project would remain stuck, the Government removed all shortcomings and construction continued. We are aware of the need for immediate completion of this section. The support from the Prime Minister and the Government is huge, and in that direction, we continue with increased dynamics even in the winter season,” Bochvarski said.
According to State Roads public enterprise director Ejup Rustemi, Kichevo - Ohrid will be the most modern tunnel built according to European and global standards.
“Primary and secondary construction have been fully completed, and work is underway on a buffer layer and BNS 32, on the electrical installation and the hydrant network. The ventilation system, fire protection, hazardous gas detection systems, video surveillance, variable traffic signals, construction of a command center still remain to be done,” said Rustemi.
The Kichevo-Ohrid highway consists of five subsections, with a total length of 57 kilometers and an estimated value of EUR 598 million.
The construction of the highway started in 2014 during the mandate of the previous Government. It was to be ready by 2018, but after the change of government, according to the competent institutions, due to lapses in the design, the deadline was extended until June 30, 2021, with an annex to the Agreement. And that deadline was further extended until the end of next year, also with an annex to the Agreement, worth EUR 598 million.
