Macedonia is investing currently EUR 2.1 billion in Corridor VIII road infrastructure alone and in the next five to six months it will invest over three billion euros in railway infrastructure, which is a total of EUR 5.5-6 billion in investments in Corridor VIII alone, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said Tuesday.
Addressing the “Across Borders” business forum, Nikoloski reminded that both airports, Skopje and Ohrid, which are also on Corridor VIII, are making progress. The “St. Apostle Paul” Ohrrid airport is currently being reconstructed – a process that is expected to be completed in July, and Skopje airport has the highest growth in the number of passengers in the first quarter of this year in the entire region.
“Currently under active construction or in the process of completion, just in the section of motorways and expressways on Corridor VIII, we have investments of EUR 2 billion and EUR 100 million, which for a country of 1 million and 800 inhabitants and a gross domestic product of somewhere around USD 21-22 billion is a huge investment. The Ohrid – Kichevo motorway costs just under EUR 800 million. We are finally finishing it, and there were numerous challenges there. The connection from this motorway via Struga to Kjafasan, regardless of the route we choose, will be in cooperation with UNESCO and within the framework of UNESCO protection. So, it is not a question of if, it is only a question of how and where. It will cost almost EUR 250 million. Additionally, we are currently in the final procedure for selecting a contractor together with the European Development Bank for a highway solution from Kichevo to Bukojchani, which will cost approximately EUR 220 million. There is also the Bukojchani – Gostivar section, for which there is already a contractor and We are working with the Bechtel-Enka consortium, which will cost almost EUR 590 million and on which we are already actively working (we have already made about 50 percent progress). This is followed by the section from Gostivar to Tetovo, then we have EUR 150 million for the complete reconstruction of the Skopje flyover, to which we add another EUR 300 million eros for an express road that we will work on together with the European Union from Kumanovo to Stracin, and Stracin – Kriva Palanka we put into operation last January, a project worth EUR 100 million. We also have a complete reconstruction of the Kjafasan border crossing with Albania, as well as the Deve Bair border crossing with Bulgaria and their expansion and finally – the road from Izvor to Garski Most, a road that will go from the current Ohrid – Kichevo motorway, practically to Debar and from Debar through the Blato border crossing we should connect with Albania, something that we are also currently building,” noted Minister Nikoloski.
