Road infrastructure has dominated investments in Kosovo in recent years. In addition to the construction of local and main roads, highways have also been built that connect Kosovo with the countries of the region and Europe. The largest percentage of Kosovo's budget is usually allocated precisely for the construction of highways.
Currently, the "Arbën Xhaferi" highway is in the process of construction, which connects Kosovo with Macedonia, and during this year, the construction of the Pristina - Gjilan - Konçul highway is expected to begin, which connects Kosovo with southern Serbia, namely the Presheva Valley. where the Albanian majority lives.
Ramë Çupeva, director of the Department of Road Infrastructure in the Ministry of Infrastructure in the outgoing Government of Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that the works on the Pristina-Skopje highway are continuing along the remaining length, adding that with the increase in temperatures, the works are developing with accelerated dynamics.
"At this moment, there are about 33 kilometers of track, where activities are taking place. The works are continuing according to the dynamic plan. This year, until the end of October, it is expected that the section up to Doganaj will be opened. And next year, the route is expected to be completed up to Han te Elezit", says Çupeva.
The realization of this project started in 2014, while the works according to the plan should be completed at the beginning of 2018. This highway, according to the Government's forecasts, will cost about 600 million euros.
The highway that connects Kosovo with Skopje has not yet been completed, the authorities in Pristina have announced that the tender for the construction of the third highway in Kosovo has already been announced. It is about the highway, Pristina - Gjilan - Konçul, aiming to connect Kosovo with the European corridors.
Qazim Jonuzaj, manager for this highway from the Ministry of Infrastructure, in the outgoing Government of Kosovo, informs Radio Free Europe that this year the construction of the highway with a length of about 22 kilometers is expected to begin at a price of 130 million euros.
"This highway will connect the city of Gjilan with Presheva and Bujanovac. This is also the main goal for the highway to be connected to the part inhabited by Albanians in the Republic of Serbia", says Jonuzaj.
On the other hand, aware of this issue, they consider the improvement of road infrastructure and the construction of highways as a necessary and necessary project for the future of the country, but also as an urgent project for this time.
Halim Gjergjizi, Doctor of Agro-Economic Sciences, who at the same time was the designer of the Merdar - Morinë highway project, says that the modernization of the road infrastructure is appropriate, but in the current circumstances in Kosovo, the financing of highways is not targeted.
"As a principle, the construction of highways, roads in general, is very appropriate. But, in the short-term aspect, Kosovo has many other priorities and surely the budgetary means would be much more appropriate to be used to reduce unemployment and poverty", Gjergzizi assesses for Radio Free Europe.
The first highway built in Kosovo is the Durrës - Kukës - Morinë that connects Kosovo with Albania, called "Ibrahim Rugova".
In the framework of this highway that has cost Kosovo about one billion euros, the competent authorities in Pristina have prepared the project for the continuation of the Pristina - Merdar - Nish highway. The project is supported by the European Union, as a joint road and railway infrastructure project for the Western Balkans.