The construction works for the new Elbasan-Rrogozhina road segment have entered an advanced phase, marking significant progress in the implementation of one of the most important infrastructure works of Corridor VIII. The segment is designed as a category A highway, which will enable safe and high-speed movement, significantly improving national and regional road connections.

Currently, work is being carried out in parallel on several fronts to ensure sustainable progress and to meet the project objectives within the set deadlines. The completion of this segment is expected to significantly ease vehicle traffic, reducing the distance and travel time between Albania and North Macedonia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, together with the Director of the Albanian Road Authority, Gentian Gjyli, closely inspected the progress of the works in lot 5, which includes the Paper – Ura e Grykshit segment.

“The physical progress at this site is very good, with over 60% of the work completed. So far, we have not encountered any problems. The route has been completely opened, while the fillings have been completed at over 80%. Five hydraulic works have been built for the passage of waters and two underpasses for better access to agricultural lands,” informed Gjyli.

Part of Corridor VIII, the road will be a category A highway with a speed of 130 km/h. Balluku emphasized that this is one of the construction sites that is progressing better on Corridor VIII, especially the segment that starts from the Bradashesh roundabout, where the problem of traffic load at the exit of the Tirana-Elbasan highway is also being solved.

Balluku emphasized that the progress of this construction site is 60% of the volume of work, while the entire project is somewhere around 49%.

“We have a deadline to meet, June 2026, where we want to completely complete the first 18 km of this very important segment. This is leaving the secondary road functional and switching to a type A highway with a speed of 130 km/hour”, said Balluku.

Balluku also emphasized that mobility is being arranged within the residential areas of both sides of the highway, as they are agricultural areas that must be accessed.

Another important part of the project, part of Corridor VIII, according to her, is the 3 km long Elbasan bypass.

"We need to provide a solution because we know the flow of travelers has already increased. Therefore, the first 3 kilometers of the Elbasan bypass must be completed by July 1, 2026, to then continue with the large project and foreign financing for which we have applied," she added.

The Elbasan–Rrogozhina segment, with a total length of 40 kilometers, is a strategic part of Corridor VIII and includes special interventions for river protection, as part of it lies along the Shkumbin Riverbed. The project is expected to have a direct impact on the economic development of the area by improving infrastructure, access for businesses, and road safety.