Bechtel JV wins Kosovo to Macedonia highway contract

The government of Kosovo has chosen Bechtel and its joint-venture partner Enka to build a new 60km motorway linking the capital, Pristina, to neighbouring Macedonia.

Above: The team has already built Route 7

The new motorway, Route 6, will connect Kosovo with the surrounding region and will be the country’s second motorway. The country’s first, Route 7, which runs from Morina on the Albanian border to the north of Pristina, was built by the Bechtel-Enka team and delivered a year ahead of schedule in November 2013.
The contract was awarded following a competitive, international tender process.
“This motorway will create a second major transport artery through Kosovo, connecting us to Macedonia and helping Kosovo become a crossroads for traffic from ports in Greece and Albania,” said Fehmi Mujota, Kosovo’s minister of infrastructure. “Improving our transport links is crucial to developing new and expanded businesses and will spur long-term economic growth in Kosovo.”
Above: Andrew Patterson (left), Bechtel’s sector manager for roads, bridges and industrial cities shaking hands with Femhi Mujota, minister of infrastructure for the Kosovo Government, after the signing of the contract for the new motorway.
“Collaboration with the government and people of Kosovo was crucial to helping us deliver their first motorway a year ahead of schedule,” said Peter Dawson, president of Bechtel’s global civil infrastructure business. “We feel privileged to have this opportunity to work together again and to help further build Kosovo’s transport network and expand its economy.”
Construction of the new motorway will start immediately and is expected to take four years. The Bechtel-Enka team trained more than 10,000 Kosovars on the Route 7 motorway project and will continue to place a high priority on hiring Kosovars and local suppliers to successfully deliver the Route 6 project.