Gostivar, 1 March 2024 (MIA) – Caretaker Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi joined by Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski and State Roads public enterprise director Ejup Rustemi inspected the progress of construction of Gostivar – Kichevo highway section on Corridor 8 on Friday.

Speaking from the site in Gorna Banjica, he emphasized that this is a mega-project in progress over the last three decades, slated for completion by 2027.

"The project encompasses the sections Tetovo - Gostivar and Kichevo - Trebenishta - Kjafasan. Work is already underway on the Albanian side, from Elbasan to the border, making it a crucial part of Corridor 8, linking the Adriatic and the Black Sea. This indicates that this corridor holds particular significance. Simultaneously, progress is being made on the section of Corridor 10d from Gradsko to Bitola via Prilep, providing the country with infrastructure of the quality expected for transportation. Congratulations to everyone on the successful work, and let us all look forward to being present at the project's inauguration in 2027," Xhaferi noted.

He expresses optimism in the implementation of the project, citing the familiarity of the performer of road construction with similar projects as a confirmation that the tasks will be completed promptly and with quality.

Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski, after inspecting the progress of the works, noted that he is satisfied with the implementation of the construction of Corridors 8 and 10d, describing them as the largest capital projects since the country's independence.

“The country is in a strong investment cycle in the infrastructure sector, with an investment of over €2 billion in the construction of road and railway infrastructure. This is highly significant for the state, as today we are making breakthroughs on the most challenging routes of both road and railway infrastructure of Corridor 8 and Corridor 10d,” Bochvarski said.

He noted that at a government session, approval was granted for a section of the route from Gostivar to Bukojchane, as well as a segment of Section 4 of the Prilep – Bitola highway, both part of Corridor 10d.

According to the State Roads public enterprise director Ejup Rustemi, the new model of highway construction in North Macedonia yields better results and enables an accelerated pace of work.

“At present, a comprehensive effort is underway encompassing expropriation, design, geomechanical testing, and construction activities. This marks the introduction of a new highway construction model in North Macedonia, projected to facilitate the construction of 23 kilometers of highways annually, a significant increase from the previous rate of 5.3 kilometers,” Rustemi said.

The project manager within Bechtel and Enka consortium, Josh Baker, said that currently around 400 people are employed, half of whom are local residents, and 11% are women.

"At the moment, excavation and transport of materials for the Gostivar-Tetovo highway have commenced, with 300 machines actively operating. We have contracted 350 subcontractors, 70% of whom are from Macedonia," Baker said.

Caretaker PM Xhaferi also toured the local hospital and inspected the road works between the villages of Debreshe and Zdunje.

Photo: MIA