Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku inspected on Friday the works on the Murriz tunnel, part of the Tirana-Dibra highway, also known as Arber Road.

During her speech at the inspection event, Balluku announced that the new tunnel would open on March 14.

"On March 14, we will open the Murriz tunnel for access for all vehicles, while work will continue on the auxiliary, emergency tunnel," declared Balluku.

The opening of the Murriz tunnel also makes the entire Arber Road accessible, one of the most important national roads, which will mark economic growth in the area and the tourism sector, now for the North.

Currently, Balluku informed us, that work is being implemented on the final details, the installation and assembly of the necessary equipment, as well as the laying of asphalt layers in the exit segment of the tunnel.

The Murriz Tunnel is 3.78 kilometers long and consists of two tubes, one for traffic and one for emergency. It has 11 exits. In total, the Arber Road has 7 tunnels, with a total length of 8.5 km.

With a length of about 74 km, the Arber Road will become an important East-West connecting corridor. It will not only bring the citizens of Tirana and all of Albania closer to Dibra and North Macedonia but will also be an artery of economic development and tourism.

This road connects the eastern and northeastern regions of Albania, improving the transportation of residents living in the areas through which the road passes, as well as ensuring the transportation of underground natural resources, such as chromium, from Bulqiza to the port of Durrës, which is then exported.

Also, this road axis will be the shortest route connecting Tirana with Dibra, as well as with northern Macedonia, Greater Dibra, Tetovo, and Skopje, so it will be an international connecting road. Furthermore, Deputy PM also said it inspected the construction of the new Fier water supply plant.

Balluku said that the new plant will improve the supply of drinking water for all citizens. “An important investment that will improve the supply of drinking water for all citizens”, she said.

The construction of the Fier water supply is part of the “Municipal Infrastructure V” program.

The “Municipal Infrastructure V” program is a program financed by the German government, through KfW, the Swiss government through SECO, the European Union through WBIF and IPA, and the Albanian government.

Shkodra, Lezha, Elbasan, Fier, Berat, and Vlora are the cities that are benefiting from this program, while part of it is also the construction of a wastewater treatment plant for the cities of Berat and Shkodra, as well as the improvement of the level of wastewater treatment in the city of Lezha.

At the end of its investments, all cities will benefit from about 266 kilometers of new water supply network, 17.4 kilometers of new sewage network, 14 thousand new connections and rehabilitation of existing consumer connections, as well as about 13 thousand new meters installed. The investments will serve a population of about 470 thousand inhabitants with a new water supply network and about 88 thousand inhabitants with an improved sewage network.