February, 2021

North

The New – Highway

Infrastructure

Hot

Plans are underway for and ⃰ to connect via a new highway. The section of the highway located on Kosovo’s ⃰ territory was opened in November 2015 – a project worth between EUR 600 million and EUR 700 million – and constructed by the American – Turkish consortium -Enka. As for the part that has to be constructed in North Macedonia (Skopje – Blace with distance of 13 km), the procedure is still ongoing. The funds for the Skopje – Blace highway will be provided by the EBRD. This project, with an estimated value of EUR 110 million, has been completed and is currently under revision. The Secretariat for European Affairs has already provided EUR 1.3 million for designing and studying the terrain intended for the realisation of the section of the highway located in North Macedonia, with technical groups already working on it. A second tender was published for the construction of the first part of the Skopje – Blace highway after the initial tender was revoked. The contract for construction of the first two kilometres of the Skopje – Blace highway was signed in the beginning of 2020. The funds for this part are provided by the PESR, and the value of the contract is EUR 12.2 million. The deadline for constructing the first part of the highway is 18 months. The highway will be constructed in two phases. It is expected for this highway to be put in use by 2022. ⃰ This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence