Durres Bypass Fails
The project for building this important link-up, at the junction between Tirana-Durres highway, Durres by-pass and other national road axes towards south, started in January 2014 and finished in March 2015. The investment is about 8 million euro.
After three months from the ending of the project, we can say that this road segment doesn’t meet the standarts and doesn’t offer security as well.
There are no security elements along the road, and only two overpasses are set at this segment, which are insufficient taking into account that residential centers are on both sides. They are forced to find more “efficient” solutions by putting wooden stairs to cross the street. Not to mention the road signals where from three traffic lights, only one of them is functional, and no one has tried to repair the defected ones.
The Durres – Shkozet – Plepa bypass has been a source of incidents until now. The Standarts and Monitoring General Directorate and the Albanian Road Authority haven’t monitored or reported this axis’ situation. Consequently, no measures have been taken to normalize the abovementioned segment. Before it’s inauguration, were all the neccessary tachnical analisys made to see if it met the standarts and didn’t risk peoples’ lives? Minister Haxhinasto at every outing lobbies for increase in standards and quality maintenance, while it seems he missed this segment. So, from a 6.7 million euros we have gaind a road without any standarts and a source of incident.
Tirane-Durres highway
In march of this year work was done for the rehabilitation of the segment Customs junction – Kashar overpass. New lighting columns were set, security elements were increased and new palms were planted.
Four months later we face a two standarts situation. Up to the 7th kilometer this highway meets the european standarts, but after that, it falls into darkness, without lighting columns or security elements suitable to a highway. After the Rinas overpass the situation changes, applying though two different standarts for the same road. “Guests” coming from abroad are considered privileged and their life is not in danger, meanwhile for the Albanian citizens no one cares for the remaining part of the Tirane-Durres highwhay.
Another controversial element was the palms planting next to the external line, which opened a big debate due to their dangerous position. After the reaction of the road traffic experts in Albania and the Road Standarts Regulation Technical Bureau of EU, the trees uproot is expected. Also, the palm planting conflicted the law nr. 8378, date 22.07.1998 and the standarts for a highway.
It is not known if the palms after the uprroting will be planted at another location. What’s known is that another inestment failed which carried it’s financial costs.
References:
Artikull: Rama inspekton punimet e Bypass të Durrësit, Transformim rrënjësor
http://shqiptarja.com/video/index.php?IDVideo=27853
Artikull: Durrës, Vihet në funksion të plotë mbikalimi i Shkozetit
Video: Autostrada Tiranë-Durrës, Ndricohen vetëm 7km
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1D1cm5X_e0
Artikull: Palmat e Rrugës Tiranë-Durrës do të shkulen pas zgjedhjeve
http://telegraf.al/aktualitet/palmat-e-rruges-tirane-durres-do-shkulen-pas-zgjedhjeve