TheHighways in Albania are the central state and main transport network inAlbania. Themotorways andexpressways are both part of the national road network. The motorways are primary roads with a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph), apart fromA1, which from extension of the highway, has now reach 130 kilometers per hour (80.7 mph).[1] They have white on green road signs such as inItaly and other countries nearby. The expressways are the secondary roads, alsodual carriageways, but without anemergency lane. They have a speed limit of 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph). They have white-on-blue road signs.[1]
TheA1 is the country's longest and only toll highway connecting the port city ofDurrës on theAdriatic Sea in the west as well as the capital ofTirana in the center, with the Republic ofKosovo in the northeast. TheA3 is the second longest motorway and connects Tirana with thePan-European Corridor VIII, running from Durrës on theAdriatic Sea toVarna on theBlack Sea. TheA2 is the third longest motorway and represents a significant north-south corridor within the country and theAdriatic-Ionian motorway.
The country is a member of thePan-European Corridor system. ThePan-European Corridor VIII passes through the country and starts at Durrës on theAdriatic Sea in the west continuing acrossNorth Macedonia andBulgaria and ends atVarna at theBlack Sea in the east.[2][3][4]
The country signed theEuropean Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries in 2006.[5] The followingEuropean routes are currently defined to end at, or near, the border of Albania such as theE86,E762,E851,E852,E853.[6]
Sinceantiquity, the area ofAlbania served as an important crossroad within theRoman Empire through the Via Pubblica andVia Egnatia. The former passed through northern Albania, while the latter linked Rome withByzantium, throughDurrës on theAdriatic Sea. DuringWorld War I, occupying forces opened up new road sections mainly in the mountainous areas of the country. InKing Zog's period, further road construction took place nearVlorë and at Krraba Pass betweenTirana andElbasan.
The total length of Albania's roads more than doubled in the first three decades afterWorld War II, and by the 1980s almost all of the country's remote mountain areas were connected, either by dirt or paved roads, with the capital city of Tirana, and ports on theAdriatic andIonian Sea. Private car ownership was not allowed and the only vehicles circulating were state-owned trucks, agricultural and official vehicles, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles. The country's roads, however, were generally narrow, poorly marked, pocked with holes, and in the early 1990s often crowded with pedestrians and people riding mules, bicycles, and horse-drawn carts.
The largest road project in the history of Albania was the construction of theA1 dual carriageway from 2007 to 2010, linking Albania with Kosovo. The segment involved the carving of a mountainous terrain, and the construction of a 5.6 km long tunnel and dozens of bridges.[7] In 2010, Prime MinisterSali Berisha announced plans to build several major highways.[8]
At present, major cities are linked with either single or dual carriageways or well-maintained roads. There is a dual carriageway connecting the port city ofDurrës withTirana,Vlorë, and partiallyKukës. There are three formal motorway segments in Albania: Kashar-Thumanë-Milot-Rrëshen-Kalimash (A1), Levan-Vlorë (A2), and Tirana-Elbasan (A3). Most rural segments continue to remain in bad conditions as their reconstruction only began in the late 2000s by the Albanian Development Fund.[9]
All roads in the country are property of Albanian Road Authority (Autoriteti Rrugor Shqiptar (ARRSH)), a directorate subordinated to theMinistry of Transportation and Infrastructure based in Tirana. Currently, cars are free of payment while driving on both motorways and expressways except onA1 motorway which has become a toll highway since March 2018.A2 andA3 are planned to become toll highways shortly. A new road system has been introduced in the early 2000s and is classified as follows:[10]
| Type | Name (Albanian) | Name (English) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Autostradë | Motorway | The motorways are the highest level of roadway in the country, marked asA with a number on a green field. |
 | Rrugë Shtetërore | State Road | The state roads are the main and most common level of roadway in the country, connecting major cities marked asSH with a number on a blue field. |
 | Rrugë Rrethi | District Road | The district roads are the lower level of roadway in the country found between districts roadway marked asRr with a number on a blue field. |
 | Rrugë Komunale | Municipal Road | The municipal roads are the lowest level of roadway in the country, typically found in rural areas and marked asK with a number on a white field though it is not observed on the ground. |
Themotorways in Albania are defined by theMinistry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The country's motorway network has been extensively modernized throughout the end of thecommunist regime and part of it is still under construction. In theAlbanian language, they are calledAutostrada or Autostradë, and they are defined as roads with at least two lanes in each direction and with emergency lanes.[11][12] The markings have green backgrounds and are identified as consisting of letter A and the motorway number assigned by the legislation. The national speed limit on an autostradë, effective in case no other speed limits are present, is 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph).[1]
| Motorway | County | Length | Cities | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Durrës,Tirana,Lezhë,Kukës | 114 km (71 mi) | Durrës,Laç,Lezhë,Rrëshen,Kukës | The A1 (Albanian:Autostrada A1) is mostly a fourtraffic lane motorway, spanning 114 km (71 mi).[13] The motorway connects theAlbanian Adriatic Sea Coast atDurrës in the southwest to theAlbanian Alps atMorinë in the northeast. It is currently part of theEuropean route E851 and will form part of theAdriatic–Ionian motorway andPan-European Corridor X.[14] |
 | Fier,Vlorë | 46.5 km (28.9 mi) | Fier,Vlorë | The A2 (Albanian:Autostrada A2) is a fourtraffic lane motorway, spanning 46.5 km (28.9 mi). The motorway connectsFier in the north andVlorë in the south. It will form part of theAdriatic–Ionian motorway. |
 | Tirana,Elbasan | 31.1 km (19.3 mi) | Tirana,Elbasan | The A3 (Albanian:Autostrada A3) is a fourtraffic lane motorway, spanning 31.1 km (19.3 mi). The motorway connectsTirana in the northwest andElbasan in the southeast. It will form part of thePan-European Corridor VIII. |
Theexpressways in Albania are defined by theMinistry of Infrastructure and Energy.
| Expressway | County | Length | Cities | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Durrës,Lezhë,Shkodër,Tirana | 125 km (78 mi) | Fushë-Krujë,Koplik,Laç,Lezhë,Shkodër,Tirana | The SH 1 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 1) is an expressway, spanning 125 km (78 mi). The expressway connectsMontenegro across thecounties ofShkodër,Lezhë,Durrës andTirana to the capital ofTirana. It is currently part of theEuropean routesE762 andE851 and will form part of theAdriatic–Ionian motorway. |
 | Durrës,Tirana | 33 km (21 mi) | Durrës,Tirana | The SH 2 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 2) is an expressway, spanning 33 km (21 mi). The expressway connects the capitalTirana across thecounties ofDurrës andTirana to the second largest city ofDurrës. It is currently part of theEuropean route E762. |
 | Elbasan,Korçë,Tirana | 151 km (94 mi) | Elbasan,Korçë,Librazhd,Pogradec,Tirana | The SH 3 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 3) is an expressway, spanning 151 km (94 mi). The expressway connectsGreece across thecounties ofElbasan,Korçë, andTirana to the capitalTirana. It is currently part of theEuropean routesE86 andE852. |
 | Durrës,Fier,Gjirokastër,Tirana | 215 km (134 mi) | Durrës,Fier,Gjirokastër,Lushnjë,Rogozhina,Tepelenë | The SH 4 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 4) is an expressway, spanning 215 km (134 mi). The expressway connectsDurrës across thecounties ofElbasan,Korçë, andTirana toGreece. It is currently part of theEuropean route E853 and will form part of theAdriatic–Ionian motorway. |
 | Elbasan,Tirana | 40.5 km (25.2 mi) | Elbasan,Peqin,Rogozhina | The SH 7 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 7) is an expressway, spanning 40.5 km (25.2 mi). The expressway connectsRogozhina across thecounties ofElbasan andTirana toElbasan. It is currently part of thePan-European Corridor VIII. |
 | Fier,Vlorë | 148 km (92 mi) | Fier,Himara,Sarandë,Vlorë | The SH 8 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 8) is an expressway, spanning 148 km (92 mi). The expressway connectsFier across thecounties ofFier,Vlorë toSarandë. |
 | Elbasan | 3.2 km (2.0 mi) | – | The SH 9 (Albanian:Rruga Shtetërore SH 9) is an expressway, spanning 3.2 km (2.0 mi). The expressway connectsQafë Thanë across thecounty ofElbasan to theRepublic of Macedonia. It is currently part of theEuropean route E852. |
Following theend of communism in 1991, thehighways in the country began to be modernized with the construction of theNational Road 2, connecting the country's capital ofTirana with the country's second-largest city ofDurrës. Since 2000, main roadways have drastically improved, though lacking standards in design and road safety.[15][16] This involved the construction of new roadways, planting of trees and related greening projects, and lately the installing of contemporary signs. However, some state roads continue to deteriorate from lack of maintenance while others remain unfinished.
The priority of thefirst Rama government in 2014 was the completion of unfinished roadways, due to lack of funding. Another major priority was the completion of theArbër Highway (Rruga e Arbërit), connectingTirana with the city ofDebar in theRepublic of North Macedonia through the current National Road 6. Eventually, thisSuperstradë will become part of thePan-European Corridor VIII, linking Albania with theRepublic of North Macedonia andGreece.[17] Another important objectives include, the completion of the problematicTirana-Elbasan Highway part of theA3, the launching of toll highways starting with A1, and the construction of the Southern Axis of AlbaniaBoshti i Jugut, passing across central and southern Albania. The completion of the Eastern Ring of AlbaniaUnaza Lindore passing throughValbonë,Kukës,Krumë,Bulqizë andLibrazhd has also been a priority. When all corridors are completed, Albania will have an estimated 759 kilometers of highway linking it with its neighbors.
Winter 2021-22 marked the first time that main roadways in the Albanian Alps have been open for traffic after a snowfall. Therefore, the many guesthouses of the area now are accessible in the winter as well. This came as a result of using advanced snow-clearing equipment by local authorities and contractors.In recent years, winter maintenance has greatly improved in all major roadways of the country including the A1 toll motorway.
Despite considerable investments, some dual carriageways are partially up to either motorway or state road standards as they are badly configured, contain unfinishedoverpasses, uncontrolled access points, lack of fencing, and either misplaced or missing road signs, inadequate entry and exitramps, and are indiscriminately used by animals, mopeds, agricultural vehicles, and pedestrians. These are mostly due to alleged corruption and lack of or low-quality projects and feasibility studies. It is believed that the above structural problems can be eliminated by transforming some highways totoll highway, like the A1 toll motorway in Northern Albania which has brought it to acceptable motorway standards. Works on most highways are mostly completed, though they remained unfinished between 2011 and 2013 due to lack of funds.
In March 2018, violent clashes took place at the A1 motorway toll plaza in Kalimash, Northern Albania as locals demanded lower fees on an unfinished project, and lacked the availability of a secondary road.
Below is a list of main roadways undergoing construction work in the last decade. The Rama 2 Government plans to standardize road projects and continue those left unfinished from previous years:
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Muriqan – Balldren – Lezhë – Milot:Autostradë, part of the Blue Corridor orAdriatic-Ionian motorway
Rrogozhine – Fier:Autostradë part of the Blue Corridor orAdriatic-Ionian motorway
Perlat – Kurbnesh – Fushe Lure nearLure National Park
Elbasan Bypass part of Corridor VII Labinot Fushë – Librazhd: Part of European Corridor VIII
Tirana – Durrës: Expanding to 3 lanes in each direction, plus emergency lane Tirana – Elbasan:Autostradë Fier Bypass:Autostradë Milot – Rrëshen – Kalimash – Kukës – Morinë:Autostradë, part ofEuropean Core Road Network's Route 7[18] Tepelenë Bypass
Lin –Pogradec:SuperstradëKorçë – Qafë Plloçë:Superstradë (29 km) Milot Trumpet Interchange, part ofAlbania-Kosovo Highway
Rrogozhinë Bypass
Durrës Bypass (Shkozet)Levan (Fier) –Vlorë:Autostradë, part ofEuropean Corridor 8. (24.20 km) Shkodër – Han i HotitMNE, part of theEuropean Core Road Network's Route 2[19]Lezhë – Milot: Resurfacing, part of theEuropean Core Road Network's Route 2Levan (Fier) –Tepelenë:Superstradë (70 km), part of theEuropean Core Road Network's Route 2Durrës –Rrogozhinë:Autostradë (35 km), part ofEuropean Corridor 8.Tepelenë –Gjirokastër:Superstradë, part of theEuropean Core Road Network's Route 2Lushnjë –Fier:Autostradë, part of European Corridor 8 (21.70 km)
Himarë –Sarandë:Superstradë
Han i Hotit – Tamarë – Vermosh – DoganaMNE
Koplik – Dedaj – Bogë:Rrugë
Fierzë – Bajram Curri Bajram Curri – Tropojë:Superstradë
Fushë Krujë –Krujë:Superstradë
Dedaj – Razëm:Rrugë
Lushnjë – Berat
Sarandë –Butrint:Superstradë Bogë – Theth
Shkodër – Velipojë Shkodër Bypass Vlorë Bypass Crossing of TEG Orikum – Dukat (Links with Llogara Tunnel) Thumanë – Kashar:Autostradë part of the Blue Corridor orAdriatic-Ionian motorway Llogara Tunnel Ura e Drinit i ri (Kukës)
Korçë – Ersekë
Arbër Highway:Tirana -Bulqizë,Shupenzë -Maqellare -Peshkopi:Superstradë{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
 Highways in Albania | |
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