Bechtel and joint-venture partner ENKA have been selected by the Government of North Macedonia to build two new motorways in the country. The first, known as corridor 8, is an east-west route connecting the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea through Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. The second, known as corridor 10d, is a key component of the Pan-European Transport Corridor 10, connecting Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Greece. The new motorways will be one 110 kilometres (68 miles) in total. Construction will start in 2023.
“The construction of these motorways is of incredible importance for the improvement and modernisation of our infrastructure,” said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski at the signing ceremony in North Macedonia today. “These two corridors will create a vital link for our regional transport system and make the country more visible for foreign investment.”
First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi agreed: “This is the largest infrastructure project in our country, and we are extremely grateful that, two years after signing the memorandum with Bechtel and ENKA, we have completed all the necessary procedures and negotiations to sign the contract and begin the construction work in the upcoming weeks.”
“We are delighted to work with North Macedonia's Government on this exciting new transport project that will improve connectivity in the region and expand the local economy,” said Mark Allison, general manager of Bechtel’s Heavy Civil Infrastructure business. “Bechtel-ENKA has a long history of successfully delivering complex motorway projects in the region, and we take our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards very seriously.”
Photo: L-R Bechtel’s general manager of heavy civil infrastructure Mark Allison shakes hands with the Director for the Public Enterprise of State Roads Ejup Rustemi, and North Macedonia's Minister for Transport, Blagoj Bocvarski shakes hands with ENKA Chairman, Mehmet Tara
The contract awarded to the Bechtel-ENKA partnership will place a high priority on hiring Macedonians and using local suppliers to successfully deliver the motorway projects. This approach will not only benefit local employment in the short-term, but training programs will support a long-term supply of construction workers for those communities investing in further infrastructure.
The joint team have previously earned international honours for work on Kosovo’s Route 7 motorway and have successfully delivered major infrastructure projects in the region since the 1990s, including motorways in Albania, Croatia, Turkey, and Romania. Together, they have built more than 28,000 kilometers (17,400 miles) of highways and roads, 100 tunnels, and 26 major bridges.
