A3 motorway (Albania)

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A3 motorway
Autostradë A3

Krraba Tunnel
Route information
Length: 26 km (16 mi)
Major junctions
From: Tirana
  Krraba Tunnel
To: Elbasan
Highway system
Highways in Albania

The Albanian Motorway Road A3 (Albanian: Rruga autostradale 3) it is planned to run along the central corridor of Albania from Tirana to southern Albania, whose first part is the Tirana–Elbasan Highway (26 kilometres (16 mi)) connecting Tirana with the Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII. This stretch will have 21 viaducts and two tunnels, each with 2.3 kilometers in length named after the 100th Anniversary of Albanian Independence. In the long run, a further construction to Berat (approx. 79 km) and Tepelenë in southern Albanian, is planned.[1]

Route

Construction works on A3

According to a press release of the former Transport Minister Sokol Olldashi the construction of the bypass began in March 2011.[2]

The planned A3 motorway begins in the outskirts of Tirana at Rruga Sauk (English: Sauk Road) from the southwest part of Tirana's beltway (Albanian: Unaza e Madhe Tiranë), which goes through the Tirana Park on the Artificial Lake. From there, the new road will run about 3 km parallel to the SH3 until they cross it and then transferred into a 550 meter long tunnel.

Afterwards, the highway will run north of the SH3 parallel to this in the valley past the villages of Mullet, and Dobresh Bërzhita until it then swings direction into Krrabë near Mushqeta. After Krrabë, the A3 passes along the border of Tirana and Elbasan counties onto a 2,200 m long tunnel through the Krrabë hills.

After the tunnel and the mountain chain, the highway runs in the valley of the Kusha River towards Elbasan, where it goes through Bradashesh and Shijon and again meets the SH3 and the path from 30.7 km to the end of the new line at the existing roundabout with SH7 the railway-Durrës-Elbasan Rrogozhina Gur-i kuq replaced at km 31.165.

Importance

Krraba Pass along SH3

The section from Tirana to Elbasan, will be an alternative to the old curvy road SH3 along Krraba Pass. The new highway bypasses the heavy traffic via Durrës-Rrogozhina. In addition, the new track about 15 km shorter than the path to the SH3, resulting in drastically reduced distance with much higher speed between Tirana and Elbasan. Economically, after completion it will be an important link between the Albanian capital and Greece.

Course of construction

On 29 April 2011 the construction work on the Krrabë tunnel started. It is expected to be ready in March 2013. The end of construction for the entire route from Tirana to Elbasan is projected for June 2013 (18 months construction time).

Costs

The total cost for the section from Tirana to Elbasan to amount to 440 million euros.[3] The funding is partially taken over by the Islamic Development Bank.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Prezantohet projekti teknik i autostradës Tiranë - Elbasan". Mppt.gov.al. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  2. ↑ "Olldashi: Projekti i Qeverisë, i njëjtë me atë të Bashkisë - Top Channel". Top-channel.tv. 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Islamic Development Bank approves USD 511 million for Mega proje". Steelguru.com. 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2012-07-13.