Albania: World Bank Contributes To Construction Of Durres-Morine Road

Washington, United States of America – The World Bank 2007-02-22 approved a US$25 million Transport Project for Albania that will finance the construction of the 26 kilometer section between Milot and Rreshen, will test performance based road maintenance on a pilot basis, improve road safety, and provide further necessary technical assistance and equipment.

Transport demand is growing rapidly in Albania, reflecting the structural changes in the economy and changes in trade flows in the region. However, the quality of road infrastructure compares poorly to regional comparators. Lack of maintenance has contributed to the deterioration of the network and increased the costs for road users. Road accidents are a serious and increasing public health issue. Poor transport infrastructure is negatively impacting the standard of living of the Albanian population. To address all these challenges, the Government of Albania has recently adopted the Albanian National Transport Plan, and confirmed that the Durres – Milot – Morine corridor is its foremost priority. The development of this road corridor will reduce costs for road users markedly and also benefit a hinterland population, approaching 110,000 people, in one of the poorest regions in Albania.

“The new project will reduce the costs for road users on the Milot-Rreshen section of the corridor and contribute to a significant improvement in access for the population living the deprived North East of Albania and beyond.. The project will also pilot innovation in road maintenance through the use of performance based approaches, and contribute to the development of the institutional framework and management of road safety activities throughout Albania”, said Martin Humphreys, head of the World Bank team designing the project.

The new project is financed by a credit and a loan, blending IDA and IBRD resources in the amounts of US$5 million and US$20 million, respectively. The project will finance the construction of the Milot-Rreshen section of the Durres-Morine corridor. The total project cost amounts to US$56 million and is co-financed with the Government of Albania (US$16 million) and the OPEC Fund (US$15 million).

Albania joined the World Bank in 1991. World Bank commitments to the country to date total approximately US$915 million for 63 operations.

For more information about the World Bank’s work in Albania, please visit www.worldbank.org.al