Nikolloski: Kičevo–Ohrid motorway to be fully completed by the end of May

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikolloski said in Ohrid that construction of the Kičevo–Ohrid motorway was progressing very well. According to him, the section from the village of Izvor in Kičevo to the village of Vërbjan, in the municipality of Debarca, is expected to open to traffic in the coming weeks.

Nikolloski said the government was keeping its promise to open the entire motorway by the end of May, with all the necessary documentation—a milestone that, he said, had rarely been achieved before. He added that construction work on the Izvor–Vërbjan section, which he described as the most difficult part, had been completed in full.

He announced that both bores of the tunnel had been opened, one measuring 1,100 metres and the other 1,990 metres. According to Nikolloski, these are the longest tunnel bores in Macedonia. The four galleries, roadway, bridges and viaducts on this section have also been completed.

Nikolloski said the required tests were now underway to implement the latest European road safety directive, particularly its provisions for tunnels. The aim is to ensure the highest level of safety inside the tunnel. He said this would be the first time the directive had been implemented in Macedonia and the region. Once the tests are complete, he said, he would invite people to visit the section that is being put into operation.

Asked about the motorways being built by “Bechtel and Enka,” Nikolloski said the greatest progress had been made on the Prilep–Bitola route. He explained that the pace of work varied from one section to another and that asphalt had not yet been laid on any of the three sections.

Earthworks on Section 1, from Tetovo to Gostivar, are 65% complete. Section 2, from Gostivar to Bukojčani, is divided into two parts: work on the part starting from Gostivar is 60% complete, while construction on the part from Bukojčani is just getting underway. On the Prilep–Bitola section, earthworks are more than 80% complete.

Regarding the Trebeništa–Qafë Thanë motorway, Nikolloski said talks were underway with contractor “Bechtel and Enka” to determine the most suitable route option. He stressed that the choice must preserve the status of the entire region, not just the Ohrid–Struga area, and said he expected construction activities to begin soon, possibly at the start of the construction season.

According to Nikolloski, experts should determine the route the motorway will take from Trebeništa to Qafë Thanë. He said he would not personally intervene in the decision, noting that someone who had previously held a similar position had, in his view, made a mistake. Politicians, he said, make decisions based on information they receive from experts, and in this case environmental and construction specialists should have their say.