RSSIn Kosovo, work is pushing ahead of schedule on the Route 7 highway to link capital Pristina with the Albanian border. Sections of the 120km highway have been opened, one year ahead of schedule. An official opening of several sections of the highway has been carried out by Kosovan leaders, including Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, President Atifete Jahjaga, and members of Parliament, along with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and US representatives Eliot Engel (D- NY) and Gary Peters (D-MI) joined thousands of Kosovans to celebrate at an opening ceremony.
The project is being carried out by US/Turkish joint venture partners4138 Bechtel and 5252 Enka, with construction having commenced in the second quarter of 2010. Funding for the project has come from the Kosovan Government itself and route optimisation work by Bechtel-Enka managed to avoid the need for boring twin tube tunnels to the south east of Pristina. Instead the main Route 7 highway joins with the M9 dual carriageway to the south west of the city, which was built recently by a local contractor. This modified route reduced construction costs for the Route 7 project considerably, a major factor in Bechtel-Enka winning the contract.
"These first 38km represent the new reality of a new country, Kosovo”, said prime minister Hashim Thaçi.
The newly-opened route runs 38km between Morinë, at the border with Albania, and an area north of Suhareka. Upon completion, the full motorway will extend to the north of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina and will serve as the centerpiece of Kosovo’s national transport system, helping to promote trade and economic development in Kosovo and throughout the region.
”We are committed to helping Kosovo to build its country and economy: 70% of the workforce on the project has been local Kosovans. Some 80 local contractors and hundreds of local suppliers have worked on the project”, said Mike Adams, president of Bechtel’s civil infrastructure unit. “We would like to thank the Kosovan government for an excellent working relationship, which has helped us to complete the first part of the motorway within budget and a year ahead of schedule.”
Construction started on the Kosovo motorway in April 2010. Bechtel and Enka’s optimum alignment solution avoided the requirement to build the twin tube tunnel, resulting in significant cost savings for the government. Together, Bechtel and Enka have successfully delivered several major infrastructure projects in the region including highways in Albania, Croatia, and Turkey. Enka chairman Sinan Tara added, “We’re delighted to be working on such a prestigious project. The motorway will be a key pillar in the development of the transportation infrastructure for Kosovo, providing access to international markets.” The motorway is scheduled for completion in 2013.
The project is being carried out by US/Turkish joint venture partners
"These first 38km represent the new reality of a new country, Kosovo”, said prime minister Hashim Thaçi.
The newly-opened route runs 38km between Morinë, at the border with Albania, and an area north of Suhareka. Upon completion, the full motorway will extend to the north of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina and will serve as the centerpiece of Kosovo’s national transport system, helping to promote trade and economic development in Kosovo and throughout the region.
”We are committed to helping Kosovo to build its country and economy: 70% of the workforce on the project has been local Kosovans. Some 80 local contractors and hundreds of local suppliers have worked on the project”, said Mike Adams, president of Bechtel’s civil infrastructure unit. “We would like to thank the Kosovan government for an excellent working relationship, which has helped us to complete the first part of the motorway within budget and a year ahead of schedule.”
Construction started on the Kosovo motorway in April 2010. Bechtel and Enka’s optimum alignment solution avoided the requirement to build the twin tube tunnel, resulting in significant cost savings for the government. Together, Bechtel and Enka have successfully delivered several major infrastructure projects in the region including highways in Albania, Croatia, and Turkey. Enka chairman Sinan Tara added, “We’re delighted to be working on such a prestigious project. The motorway will be a key pillar in the development of the transportation infrastructure for Kosovo, providing access to international markets.” The motorway is scheduled for completion in 2013.
