Macedonia's Shkup‑Bllacë highway moves towards construction amid political dispute

The ruling VLEN coalition announced that the Shkup–Bllacë highway, a key segment of the regional Corridor 8 linking North Macedonia with Kosovo, has entered the concrete implementation phase. VLEN highlighted the project's strategic importance for faster movement of people and goods, citing a promised 24‑year wait now finally materialising with the selection of a contractor.

The Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), representing the ethnic Albanian community, disputed the progress, claiming the project has been blocked for two consecutive years. BDI accused the authorities of contradictory statements, route changes and attempts to downgrade the highway to a regular road, noting that about 8.85 million denars had been spent on studies and revisions. The party insists that the first two kilometres, built as a true motorway segment, are essential to prevent any later reclassification of the route.