English
The most difficult section of the Kicevo-Ohrid highway, which is about 10 kilometers long, should be put into operation in the coming months, while the full completion of the entire highway is planned for May next year, said Deputy Prime Minister and Transportation Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski. In a TV interview, Nikoloski pointed out that most of the capacities of the Transportation Ministry are currently directed towards this project due to the numerous problems it was inherited with.
I expect the most difficult section of 10 kilometers to be put into operation in the coming months, where there are galleries, bridges, viaducts and where the tunnel, which will be the longest in the country, is located. One tunnel is 2 kilometers long, and the other 2 kilometers and 100 meters. I expect this section to be put into operation in the coming months, and thus the Ohrid-Kichevo highway to be gradually completed – Nikoloski stated.
Nikoloski says that the Kicevo-Ohrid highway remains the biggest challenge for the Ministry of Transport. We spend about 80 percent of our time and energy on Ohrid-Kicevo, and 20 percent on all other projects. We inherited it with so many problems that it requires daily engagement, but now the results are already visible, said Nikoloski.
The Deputy Prime Minister also addressed capital investments in infrastructure, pointing out that construction and transport are among the main drivers of economic growth.
At the moment, in the municipalities alone, we have projects financed by the Government with more than 1,200 active construction sites. If we add to that six highways that are being built in parallel in the country, which has never happened in history, as well as the intensive work on the railway Corridor 8, the preparations for Corridor 10 and investments in airports, then we have a rounded picture of strong capital investments that contribute to economic growth, said Nikoloski.
Regarding the construction of the railway Corridor 8 and the connection with Bulgaria, he informed that at a recent interdepartmental meeting in Sofia, a joint letter was signed to the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for financing the joint tunnel. According to Nikoloski, this overcomes the problem with the previous tender.
As soon as this Government was elected in June 2024, we came across an open tender procedure for the third phase of the railway connection with Bulgaria, which included a dead end tunnel. This would be the first time in history that a dead end tunnel has been tendered, because the tunnel is supposed to go through the mountain – you enter from one side, you exit from the other, said the minister.
Nikoloski announced that a new meeting will be held in Skopje at the end of August, and a new tender for the selection of a contractor for the third phase is expected soon.
Regarding the strategic project supported by Great Britain, Nikoloski informed that the studies should be completed by August 31, after which the legal procedure will follow, and the start of construction activities is expected in the first months of 2027.