A3 (Albania)

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A3 motorway
Autostradë A3
Route information
Length 110 km (70 mi)
Major junctions
North end
South end
Location
Counties Tirana, Elbasan, Berat and Gjirokastër
Major cities Tirana, Elbasan, Berat and Tepelenë
Highway system
Highways in Albania

The A3 motorway (Albanian: Autostrada 3) is a motorway in Albania, spanning 110 kilometers (68 mi), while 31 km (19 mi) are currently under construction and 79 km (49 mi) are planned. After its completion, the motorway will connect the country's capital, Tirana, with the European route E852 and Pan-European Corridor VIII, which run from Durrës on the Adriatic Sea with Varna on the Black Sea. The motorway is planned to run along the central corridor towards the southern corridor of Albania, whose northern section forms the Tirana–Elbasan Highway.

Construction in the south of the Krabba tunnel of the second lane.
The Krraba tunnel during construction.

The motorway will have at least two traffic lanes and an emergency lane in each direction along its entire length, except in tunnels, where there are emergency bays instead. It will contain 21 viaducts and 2 tunnels, each with a length of 2.3 km (1.4 mi). In the long run, a further construction to Berat and Tepelenë is planned.[1]

The motorway will represent a major north–south corridor in Albania, connecting the capital of the country, Tirana in the center, to Tepelena in the south. It will encompasses the counties of Tirana, Elbasan, Berat and Gjirokastër, after the complementation. As a part of the road network of Albania, the motorway is a part of two major European routes, including the E86 and E852.

The motorway starts at Sauk on the south of the Grand Park of Tirana, where the motorway follows a route parallel to the National Road 3 (SH3) and the Erzen Valley, until the village of Krrabë. Close to the border between the counties of Tirana and Elbasan, the motorway passes along the Krraba tunnel. Passing the tunnel, the highway continues within the Kusha Valley towards Elbasan, where it meets the SH3 again at Bradashesh and the motorway ends.

As of the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Sokol Olldashi, the construction of the Tirana bypass began in March 2011.[2] On 29 April 2011 the construction work on the Krrabë tunnel started. It is expected to be ready in March 2013. The end of construction for the entire route from Tirana to Elbasan is projected for June 2013 (18 months construction time), however a hill collapse near Ibe has further delayed completion due to inadequate geological feasibility studies.

The total cost for the section from Tirana to Elbasan to amount to 440 million euros.[3] The funding is partially taken over by the Islamic Development Bank.[4]



See also

References

  1. ↑ "Prezantohet projekti teknik i autostradës Tiranë - Elbasan". Mppt.gov.al. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  2. ↑ "Olldashi: Projekti i Qeverisë, i njëjtë me atë të Bashkisë - Top Channel". Top-channel.tv. 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  3. ↑ "Hapen ofertat ekonomike për autostradën Tiranë-Elbasan". Archived from the original on 2011-03-04.
  4. ↑ "Islamic Development Bank approves USD 511 million for Mega proje". Steelguru.com. 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2012-07-13.

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