Author: Denis Tahiri
With a length of about 75 kilometers and curved like the Arbër road in the 2008 strategic document, this axis is expected to connect the Albanian metropolis with Dibra through the mountain valleys of Shpal to continue to Gur i Bardhë and Xibër, the Qafa e Buallit tunnel, Zerqan of Gjorica.
Mentioned during the government of former Prime Minister Fatos Nano in the National Roads Council, it was then promised that this axis would be one of the most promising capillaries that would not only shorten time but also facilitate access. All this was translated years later during the Berisha government as one of the priorities of the Transport Strategy, even approved by decision of the Council of Ministers.
Rama government and Arbër road
It took a decade after the strategy, where the deadline for the field study was also foreseen, so that at noon on June 17, 2018, the start of the works for the Arbër road was marked. Three years after this moment, on November 29, 2021, the road was inaugurated with a special ceremony that announced the "provisional" opening by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Minister of Infrastructure. In fact, Minister Belinda Balluku threw the other alternative, that of facing and encountering a geological problem in the Murriz tunnel.
"As you know, the problem lies in the geology of the Murriz tunnel - the longest and most complex tunnel of this work at 3.8 kilometers, a tunnel where we encountered clay layers and water sources that melt this clay"- announced the minister. Government official Rama predicted that the completion of the road would happen in April 2022. However, even in the announced deadline, the closing of the works according to the project did not happen.
Concessionary projects
The Arbri road is the first axis that the government implemented for concessionary construction projects in the road infrastructure, using the form of public-private partnership, where it was proposed that the investment value be carried out by the company, while the state would start the second year after the realization of 25% of the volume of works payment of installments for 13 years, paying an interest in the amount of 40 million euros. According to Ina Media The investments of the company "Gjoka Konstruksion" together with the problems in the Murriz tunnel for this segment are 235 million euros, while the state will pay 348 million euros in the end.
Along the axis observed by the "Albanian Center for Quality Journalism" and where the Arbër street is illustrated with a photo gallery, it is clear that the street is open to the traffic of citizens even though the street continues to be a construction site. While experts unofficially estimate that this road axis, with great importance for the residential areas where this road passes, will be completed in August 2022, this deadline also seems to be unfeasible considering the amount of work that needs to be completed.
The Albanian Center for Quality Journalism addressed the Ministry of Infrastructure with a request for information in order to make available the project and the budget for the Arbër road, but in the official response, this institution stated that in the Concession/PPP contract between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and the company "Gjoka Konstruksion" sh.a. "For the improvement, construction, operation and maintenance of the Arbër road", specifically in the article "Data Protection" it is mentioned that:
"If personal data are processed on the basis of Law no. 9887, dated October 10, 2008, "On the protection of personal data", during the implementation of this Contract, the Concessionaire fulfills any and all provisions derived from this law and if required consent of the data subject, such consent shall be obtained in order for the personal data to be provided to the Contracting Authority. Violation of the law regarding the management of personal data by the Concessionaire will be considered a violation of this Contract and the Concessionaire will be responsible only in relation to the violation of the law. The Contracting Authority shall not provide a third party (excluding public entities), any of the confidential data part of the concessionaire's bid, without the concessionaire's approval."
Under these conditions, NJZP with the e-mail dated 2.11.2021 addressed to the company "Gjoka 87" sh.a, for approval on making available the project and estimate for the Arbri road, part of the concessionaire's offer. concludes the answer by adding that the concessionaire has requested compliance with Article 50.1 for maintaining confidentiality and not providing information, given that the requester of this information was not a representative of any public entity.
