American-Turkish consortium builds Kosovo highway

[insomniac]

Kosovo might choose the same company as Albania. For their highway section linking with Albania.

American-Turkish consortium Bechtel-Enka has been chosen for a US$1 billion ((EURO)700 million) deal to build a highway across Kosovo, the new country's transport minister said Monday.

Authorities are still negotiating details before signing a final agreement, Minister Fatmir Limaj told Kosovo's public broadcaster, without giving any more details.

He said the project to link Kosovo with Albania in the west and Serbia in the east could create 10,000 new jobs.

The Bechtel-Enka consortium _ made up of San Francisco, California-based Bechtel International Inc. and Istanbul-based Enka _ built a 65-kilometer (40-mile) section in Albania's highway.

The runners up in the bidding, Austria's Strabag, could be approached if talks with Bechtel-Enka fail.

[EriTopSheqeri]

Strabag is an excellent alternative.

[insomniac]

Bechtel-Enka did an overall good job with Albania. Except with the tunnel problems.

[libfieri]

parts of the highway are collapsing and there are numerous reports of landslides due to poor materials being used, i just thing is that the govt hurried them on and tried too rush them into finishing up the highway so that they could use it as an electoral tool.

[hellboy87]

Becareful guys,becareful........

[insomniac]

Jan 19, 2010 5:36:02 GMT -5 libfieri said:

parts of the highway are collapsing and there are numerous reports of landslides due to poor materials being used, i just thing is that the govt hurried them on and tried too rush them into finishing up the highway so that they could use it as an electoral tool.

Their part Rreshen-Kalimash was in top notch. It was the Albanian sections which lacked standards.
The only problem was that we had to pay a high price than what was initially agreed. Perhaps, Strabag would give Kosovo less headache.

In terms of quality they did a good job.
i48.tinypic.com/34glll3.jpg

[chalkedon]

Jan 19, 2010 5:36:02 GMT -5 libfieri said:

parts of the highway are collapsing and there are numerous reports of landslides due to poor materials being used, i just thing is that the govt hurried them on and tried too rush them into finishing up the highway so that they could use it as an electoral tool.

We had a similar incident in the polopnnese Greece. A new highway completely collapsed right shortly after it was built. Nothing unusual...just typical balkan greed, mismanagement, embezzelment and finally us working citizens taking the bill for it all ;D

cheers..

[insomniac]

Tunnel on Albania side now open.

A few pictures...




While Kosovo's side has started link construction