DUI: VLEN delayed the Skopje-Blace road for two years and increased its cost by 30 million euros

DUI has reacted to the laying of the foundation stone for the Skopje-Blace road, accusing VLEN of presenting as an achievement a project initiated by the previous government.

According to the party, the highway project had been completed on May 2, 2023, and was put out to tender that same year at a value of around 183 million euros. DUI emphasizes that, after more than two years of delays, work on the same road is now being presented by VLEN as a success.

DUI adds that the project, which spans around 10 kilometers, has undergone no changes to its route or content. Nevertheless, its construction is now expected to cost around 210 million euros, or approximately 21 million euros per kilometer.

The party recalls that two years ago, VLEN and its political partners had opposed the project, describing it as “too expensive” and “inappropriate.” According to DUI, the same project is now being implemented, without even a 0.1 percent change.

“The route is the same, the project is the same and the highway is the same. The only difference is that two years of delays and around 30 million euros from citizens’ money have been added,” DUI said.

DUI is calling on VLEN to explain the reasons for blocking the project for two years, as well as the causes that led to the cost increasing by around 30 million euros. The party also asks where these funds will end up and what justification there is for this increase in cost.

“Albanians lost two years on a vital highway, while citizens will pay tens of millions of euros more. Two years of delays, 30 million euros more expensive and no change to the project—this is the bill for VLEN’s incompetence and mismanagement,” DUI said in its reaction.