Although initially projected to be completed by August 2024, the construction of the bridge connecting Ulcinj and Velipoja, which will reduce the distance between the two areas from 70 kilometers to just a few kilometers, is unlikely to begin before the approval of Montenegro’s Spatial Plan, which is still under development.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić recently highlighted this during a session in parliament, noting that the adoption of the Spatial Plan is expected soon.
On March 7, the Parliament of Montenegro passed the Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Governments of Montenegro and Albania for the construction of an interstate bridge over the Bojana River. The agreement was signed by Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in February 2023.
The draft project for the bridge includes two traffic lanes, each slightly under four meters wide, along with sidewalks and bike lanes. The bridge’s average height will be around 10 meters above the highest water level to avoid disrupting river traffic.
As per the agreement, the two countries will share the estimated cost of around €20 million. The Albanian side, through the Albanian Development Fund (ARF), is financing the project’s design.
Additionally, the draft Budget Law for Montenegro in 2025, approved by the government on November 15 and currently in parliamentary procedure, also includes funding for the Bojana River bridge project, with an estimated total value of €10 million.
“Realization will proceed in line with the procedures and financing conditions outlined in the international agreement with neighboring Albania,” Spajić emphasized.
Apart from the Spatial Plan, as previously reported by RTCG, the project’s lead agency must also submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the Agency for Environmental Protection before proceeding.
