Major bridge opens on Albania-Kosovo highway
One of the largest bridges in the Balkans, part of the highway connecting Albania with Kosovo and known as the Nation’s Road, has been completed and is now open for vehicle traffic. The grand bridge over the Drin River is a significant architectural feat designed by renowned Italian architect Giorgio Rizzo.
Why is this important: The New Bridge provides a solution to an old traffic bottleneck linking the two sides of the lake with the national road, replacing the old bridge and significantly easing traffic flow in the area. Initially started in 2007 by the government of the Democratic Party, many large-scale projects, including this bridge, were not completed, leading authorities to reroute traffic to the old bridge, built 45 years earlier.
Context: The construction of the bridge took four years and involved an investment of 40 million euros. The bridge not only features remarkable engineering and aesthetic dimensions but also boasts a unique construction technique. It was entirely assembled offsite and then moved into place by floating, making it one of the most unusual in Europe. It does not have piers but is a single structure connected to two concrete bases on the lake shores, with its entire length made of a metallic structure featuring a large arch without intermediate supports.
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