A new road investment in Albania has resulted in what appears to be a double bill for taxpayers. The Lower Burrel Bypass, a road segment just 960 meters long, initially cost around €1.3 million to build.
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| Heavy machinery works on the Lower Burrel Bypass, a 960-meter road that suffered four major collapses just one month after completion, forcing taxpayers to fund an additional €930,000 for repairs. |
The project was designed to divert heavy vehicles away from the city of Burrel. Ironically, the road failed to perform that function for even a single day.
Four Major Collapses Just One Month After Completion
Serious problems emerged shortly after the completion of the Lower Burrel Bypass.
Four major sections of the 960-meter road collapsed following landslides, raising questions about the quality of the construction, the geological studies behind the project and the technical supervision of the works.
Following the damage, the Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) announced that an expert assessment would be carried out to determine the causes of the collapses and identify the necessary intervention.
However, while responsibility for the original investment remains unclear, the cost of making the road operational again has now been added to the state budget.
Another €930,000 for Repairs
A new tender has been launched for the repair works, with a limit fund of 90.3 million Albanian lek, while the winning company was “2N” sh.p.k., administered by Ndriçim Stojku.
The company submitted an offer of 87 million lek, equivalent to approximately €930,000.
According to the technical plans, the repair project will include the construction of piles along approximately 300 meters of the damaged road in order to reinforce the roadbed affected by the landslides.
This means that the 960-meter road will ultimately cost the Albanian state more than €2.2 million when the original construction cost and the new repair contract are combined.
Who Is Responsible?
The case raises serious questions about the quality of the original works, technical supervision, geological assessments and institutional responsibility for the use of public money.
How can a road costing approximately €1.3 million suffer four major collapses only one month after construction was completed?
And if the purpose of the project was to divert heavy traffic away from Burrel, how did the road fail to fulfill its primary function even for a single day?
Meanwhile, taxpayers are being asked to finance another €930,000 to repair a road that had only recently been completed.
The key question remains unanswered: Who is responsible for the failure of the original investment, and why are Albanian taxpayers being asked to pay again to make the same road functional?
Until the authorities publish the findings of the technical assessment and clarify who was responsible for the original design, construction and supervision, the Lower Burrel Bypass remains another case raising questions about the transparency and accountability of Albania’s public infrastructure spending.