North Macedonia road chief Koce Trajanovski confirms Kičevо‑Ohrid highway deadline

Director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads, Koce Trajanovski, announced that the deadline for completing the Kičevо‑Ohrid highway will be kept for May 2025. Of the 57 km route, about 37‑38 km are already open, with the remaining sections under intensive work. The final segment from Izvor to the tunnel at Vrban — and then to Botun — is expected to open by the end of October.

Construction of the Skopje‑Blače road is slated to begin in the second half of August, while the Kičevо‑Bukojčani section should start in September. The total cost for the Kičevо‑Ohrid project is around €800 million, financed through three loans taken by the agency. Contractors include a consortium led by Bechtel and ENKA for the Prilep‑Bitola, Tetovo‑Gostivar and Gostivar‑Bukojčani sections, and a consortium headed by “Granite” for the Skopje‑Blače segment. The mountainous terrain will require five tunnels, nine bridges, steep slopes and retaining walls.

Trajanovski also noted that tender documentation for an express road from Romanovce to Stracin is being prepared, with a feasibility study tender expected next year.