In 2014, the contract for section 1 of the Qukës – Qafë Plloçë road was signed, with the contractors obliged to complete the project by June 2018. However, six years and six months after the deadline expired, the company “Albavia”, which undertook the project, has still not implemented the contract. Despite the delay, the company has been favored by the state authorities, which have increased the funds and extended the deadlines.
Although this constitutes a serious abuse, “Albavia” has not only not been punished, audited or sanctioned, but continues to receive new funding. The relevant tenders are allegedly predetermined by the Albanian Road Infrastructure Authority (ARRSH). Although the leaders of ARRSH have changed, the favorable decisions seem to come from “higher orders”. The construction of the road began 15 years ago, but it is still not completed. Its length is only 43 kilometers, but its cost has skyrocketed from 150 million euros to over 400 million euros.
According to ARRSH, work on Section 1 began in 2015 with an initial cost of 38 million euros, but has increased by 22.6 million dollars. The total cost now stands at 60.7 million dollars, 59% more than the initial estimate. In addition, Section 0, which began in 2009 and was completed in 2014, experienced major delays due to landslides, increasing the cost by 20%.
In 2024, “Albavia” was declared the winner of another tender, although its bid was 44 million lek higher than the lowest bid. At the same time, it won another tender from the Municipality of Pogradec to connect the villages of Mokra with the Qukës – Qafë Plloçë road, while there were objections to the process. Everything indicates that the tenders are predetermined, under the guidance of “higher orders”.
