Kichevo-Ohrid Highway stabilization begins near Botun

Kichevo-Ohrid Highway soil stabilization concrete pillars infrastructure construction North Macedonia

Specialized engineering techniques are being deployed to stabilize the most difficult section of the Kichevo-Ohrid highway near the village of Botun. The area is characterized by highly unstable black graphite soil and significant groundwater presence, which creates a slurry-like consistency that threatens the foundation of the road.

To address this, engineers are installing approximately 250 concrete pillars throughout the highway, with 163 located specifically at the Botun site. These pillars will reach depths of 20 to 28 meters—equivalent to a building of seven to 11 stories. Each pillar involves lowering 30-ton iron reinforcement cages into the ground, which are then filled with concrete and interconnected using pipes and steel cables to create a single, solid underground structure.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, alongside Public Enterprise for State Roads Director Koce Trajanovski, inspected the works. The project involves heavy machinery weighing 130 tons. While 34 kilometers of the 57-kilometer highway are currently operational, the final section is expected to be completed and released for use in the first quarter of 2027.

Entities

Aleksandar Nikoloski · Aleksandar Nikolovski · Botun · Kichevo-Ohrid Highway · Koce Trajanovski · Ohrid-Kichevo Highway · Public Enterprise for State Roads · Sinohydro

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Each reinforcement cage will contain approximately 30 tons of iron. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] 37 kilometers have been built so far, with 34 kilometers currently in operation. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Machinery will penetrate the ground between 20 and 28 meters deep. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] The 10 km Preseka tunnels are expected to be opened for use within the next two months. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] There will be 250 reinforcement cages on the Kercovo-Ohrid highway, with 163 located in Botun. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] The final section of the highway is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2027. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] The Kercovo-Ohrid highway is 57 kilometers long. zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] Additional detailed geodetic analyses were conducted across 400 to 500 different locations over 7 kilometers. zhurnal.mk

Sources

Николоски: Со специјална техника се стабилизира трасата на најтешкиот дел од автопатот Кичево – Охрид [makpress.mk]

5 days ago

Со бетонски столбови до 28 метри во земја се стабилизираат свлечишта на автопатот Охрид - Кичево [tvm.mk]

5 days ago

Zgjidhje për pjesën më të vështirë të autostradës! Botuni do të stabilizohet me konstruksion të ri [zhurnal.mk]

5 days ago

Николоски: Со специјална техника се стабилизира трасата на најтешкиот дел од автопатот Кичево – Охрид [vesti.alfa.mk]

5 days ago