At six o'clock Monday morning, both sides of the tunnel crossing the Durrës-Kukës-Morinë road were united. The Project is a key connection between the port of Durrës, Albania's primary seaport on the Adriatic Sea, and Kosovo.

 

The 38-mile (61-kilometer) four-lane highway will stretch from the town of Rrëshen, in the heart of the country, up to the northeastern village of Kalimash. The project is the central leg of a 106-mile (171-kilometer) highway traversing the country from the Adriatic Sea up to the northeastern border with Kosovo. The new roadway will cut travel time along the route from six to two hours, boosting coastal trade and northeast tourism.

The first section of the 61 km long highway is the 18 km-long stretch from Rrëshen to Reps, which was completed in November 2008.

The 27 km Second section is from Reps to Thirra. The 15 km long third section is between Thirra and Kolshi where Mount Runes, at an altitude of 1,858 m, will be crossed with a 5.5 km double bore tunnel.

The second tunnel is expected to be completed in September of this year. Construction started on May 25, 2007. Bechtel and joint-venture partner Enka are putting Albania in the fast lane by investing $535 million for the modern motorway.

The Durrës-Kukës-Morinë project of the Albanian Government is the largest engineering project in Albania. A year ago, during an inspection of the tunnel construction, Albania Prime Minister Sali Berisha said, "The first thought that comes to mind is that the mountains do not sever the nation, and do not divide the people."

Respect for the local community and environment are among the top concerns on the Albanian Motorway project. The Bechtel-Enka joint venture takes full advantage of Albanian expertise, labor, materials, and services. Thinking locally makes good environmental as well as business sense, and will leave a positive legacy of economic growth and a stronger skills base in the region.

According to Bechtel, the project is the largest employer in the area; out of the more than 3,500 people on the job, two-thirds are Albanian. The joint venture is partnering with authorities in the nearby towns of Rrëshen, Reps, Klos, and Kukës, as well as with employment officials in the capital of Tirana, to recruit locals as the project gears up to employ a peak of 4,500 later this year.