Albanian PM Edi Rama opens new Elbasan‑Kafasan road segment

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that a second segment of the Elbasan‑Kafasan highway at the Albanian‑Macedonian border near Struga has been opened to traffic. The 50.12‑km stretch between the villages of Labinot‑Fush and Mirak follows the first segment that entered service in June two years earlier.

The new section, built to modern standards with two lanes in each direction, a central divider, bridges, tunnels and protective works along the Shkumbin River, will allow speeds up to 110 km/h and cut travel time between Elbasan and Kafasan from over 1½ hours to about 30 minutes. It is part of Corridor VIII, which runs from Bari, Italy to the Bulgarian ports of Varna and Burgas, linking Albania and North Macedonia. The corridor’s road network is about 70 % complete, with rail connections slated for full completion by 2030.