Albania has reportedly removed the planned Bojana River bridge, which would have connected Ulcinj in Montenegro to Velipojë in Albania, from its list of nationally significant projects. The bridge was initially promoted as a strategic investment that would reduce the current 73-kilometer travel distance between the two towns to just one kilometer.
The project, first proposed in 2022 during a bilateral meeting between then-Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama under the “Open Balkan” initiative, was estimated to cost around €20 million, with both countries sharing costs equally. Planned specifications included a 300-meter span with two traffic lanes, sidewalks, bike paths, and a 10-meter clearance for river navigation.
Albanian media, citing the portal Ekofin, report that the bridge has been removed from the priority list despite previously being classified as a “mature” project with completed documentation and an indicative €14 million allocation. Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport has stated that it has no official information on Albania’s decision and that the project remains budgeted in Montenegro for 2025.
Delays have been attributed to administrative and procedural hurdles, including pending approval of Montenegro’s Spatial Plan (PPCG) and the fact that the joint implementation and monitoring agencies for the project have not yet been established.
Originally, the bridge was expected to facilitate tourism, connecting underutilized beaches and potentially serving around 500,000 visitors annually. However, political changes and shifting priorities appear to have stalled the initiative, leaving its future uncertain.
