List of national roads and highways in Albania

Existing motorway network in Albania (2015; not completely four-lane)

The national road and motorway network in Albania is one of the youngest in Europe and is constantly being expanded.

General

Property developer

The highways ( Rruga Autostradale ) and national roads ( Rruga Shtetërore ) are built and managed by the Albanian Road Authority ( Albanian  Autoriteti Rrugor Shqiptar ).

toll

No fees such as tolls or vignettes are charged for the motorways and national roads built so far . The only exception is the toll road Kalimash tunnel on the A1 Autostrada (Albania) .

numbering

The national roads (SH_) are divided into roads with one and two-digit numbers:

• The streets with a single-digit number are main traffic arteries that serve supraregional traffic, for example the direct connection between cities.
• The roads with two-digit numbers, on the other hand, only have a regional or local meaning, but can also serve as connecting roads.

At the moment only single-digit numbers are assigned for the Autobahn (A_).

Signage

Motorways are signposted with a green sign and white number, while national roads are signposted with a blue sign with a white border and white number. The font (including the octagonal outline of the motorway numbers) and colors are based on the road system in Italy .

In contrast to the newly built motorways, the motorway- like national roads are still marked as national roads with SH . The signage has not (yet) been resolved consistently in this regard.

Highways

Character of the highways

Lane	designation	nature
	Rruga Autostradale (motorway)	Motorway-like road with four lanes and hard shoulder on both sides

List of highways

No. / character	Europastraße (s)	From (north or west)	To (south or east)	Via	length	Expansion status
		Durrës	Morina / RKS	Vora - Fushë-Kruja - Milot - Rrëshen - Kalimash - Kukës	approx. 177 km	finished
		Fier North	Vlora	Levan	46.5 km	finished
		Tirana	Tepelena	Baldushk - Elbasan - Kuçova - Berat - Memaliaj	approx. 125 km	Tirana - Elbasan ready; The rest in planning
		Durrës	Tirana	Vora	approx. 32 km	finished
		Durrës	Fier North	Rrogozhina - Lushnja - Fier	approx. 81 km	partially finished

Expressways

Character of the expressways

Lane	designation	nature
	Superstradë (expressway)	A motorway-like road with two lanes and a hard shoulder on both sides

List of expressways

No. / character	Europastraße (s)	From (north or west)	To (south or east)	Via	length	Expansion status
		Milot	Rrëshen / RKS	Rubik	approx. 34 km	finished
		Han i Hotit / MNE	Tirana	Shkodra - Lezha - Milot - Fushë-Kruja	approx. 117.5 km	finished
		Elbasan	Kapshtica / GR	Librazhd - Pogradec - Korça	approx. 144 km	largely finished
		Levan	Kakavija / GR	Tepelena - Gjirokastra	approx. 129 km	finished
		Rrogozhina	Elbasan	Peqin	?	finished
		at Qafë Thana	Qafë Thana / MK		approx. 3 km	finished
		Vora	Fushë-Kruja		approx. 11.4 km	finished

National roads

Character of the national roads

Lane	designation	nature
	Rruga Autostradale (motorway)	Motorway-like road with four lanes and hard shoulder on both sides
	Superstradë (expressway)	A motorway-like road with two lanes and a hard shoulder on both sides
	Rrugë kryesore (main street)	Easy, two-lane road, no hard shoulder

List of national roads

No. / character	Europastraße (s)	From (north or west)	To (south or east)	Via	length	Expansion status
		Han i Hotit / MNE	Tirana	Shkodra - Lezha - Milot - Fushë-Kruja	131.7 km (new road) 150.2 km (old road via Laç and Balldren )	finished
		Durrës	Tirana	Vora	27.7 km (highway) 33.7 km (old road via Sukth - Shijak )	finished
		Tirana	Kapshtica / GR	Elbasan - Librazhd - Pogradec - Korça	202.5 km	finished
		Durrës	Kakavija / GR	Rrogozhina - Lushnja - Fier - Tepelena - Gjirokastra	225.1 km (new route via Levan ) 223.3 km (old route via Ballsh )	finished
		Shkodra	Morina / KOS	Puka - Fushë-Arrëz - Kukës	168 km	finished
		Milot	Peshkopia	Burrel - Klos - Bulqiza - Maqellara	117.9 km	finished
		Elbasan	Rrogozhina	Peqin	44.5 km	finished
		Fier	Saranda	Levan - Vlora - Himara	158 km	finished
		at Qafë Thana	Qafë Thana / MK		3 km	finished
		Han i Hotit	Tamara		32.6 km	finished
		Koplik	Theth	Boga	58.6 km	finished
		Qafa e Malit	Qafa e Morinës / KOS	Fierza -  Bajram Curr	90.8 km	finished
SH 23		Kukës	Sopot	Kruma	91.2 km	finished
		Shkodra	Zogaj	Shiroka	9.6 km	finished
SH 25		Qafa e Laçit	Koman		34.1 km	finished
SH 26		Kukës	Shishtavec		26.2 km	finished
		Berdica e Sipërme	Velipoja		28.5 km	finished
SH 28		Melgusha	Mjeda		7.1 km	finished
SH 29		Balldren	Bushat	Gjadër	13.8 km	finished
		Pllana	Hadroj	Rubik -  Rrëshen	83.1 km	finished
SH 31		Kukës	Peshkopia		86.5 km	finished
		Lezha	Kune	Shëngjin	11.4 km	finished
SH 33		Lezha	Vain	Hotel in Gjuetisë	10.8 km	finished
		Rrëshen	Lura	Kurbnesh	60 km	partly unpaved
		Laç	Patok	Fushë-Kuqja	10.6 km	finished
SH 36		Burrel	Fushë-Muhurr	Qafë-Muhurr	approx. 55 km	partly unpaved
SH 37		Burrel	Kombësia		5.6 km	finished
		Fushë-Kruja	Qafë Shtama	Kruja	36.6 km	finished
		SH1	Cement factory		4 km	finished
		SH30	Reps (bridge)	A1	4.5 km	finished
		Shkodra	Muriqan / MNE		13.9 km	finished
		Dedaj	Razma	Vrith	12.6 km	finished
SH 43		Bardhet	Qafë Bari	Tuç	19 km	unpaved
SH 44		Maqellara (SH6)	Border crossing Bllata / NMK		3.4 km	finished
SH 45		Qafa e Buallit	Mine		4 km
SH 46		SH6	Ulza		2.3 km	finished
SH 47		SH54	Dajti National Park		13 km (including fork)	partly unpaved
SH 48		SH3	Antennas	Krraba	11 km (including fork)	partly unpaved
		Fllaka junction	Katund i Ri	Fllaka (radio transmitter )	12 km	partly unpaved
SH 50		Qafa e Buallit	Krasta		approx. 11.4 km	partly unpaved
SH 51		Durrës	Cape Bisht i Pallës		7 km	partly unpaved
		Vora	Fushë-Kruja		11.5 km	finished
SH 53		Kamza (junction SH1 )	Zall Herr ( Bovilla dam )		14 km	finished
SH 54		Tirana ( fresco )	Ballenja		65 km	largely unpaved
SH 55		SH2 ( Katër rrugët )	Pjezga (SH56)		4.5 km	finished
		Tirana (Combine)	Plepa (Durrës Plazh)	Ndroq	29.7 km	bad asphalt
SH 57		Çerma	Divjaka ( beach )		20 km	finished
SH 58		Cërrik	Vlashuk	Bellsh - Gradisht - Kajan	27.9 km	finished
SH 59		at Papër	SH 71 at Driza	Cërrik - banya	25.7 km	finished
SH 60		at Kashar	at Fushë- Preza	Tirana Airport	approx. 9.6 km	finished
		Tirana (Rrapi i Treshit)	Ferraj		6 km	finished
SH 62		at Ura e Gjolës	Bilaj (medicinal bath)		3.5 km	finished
SH 63		Korça	Voskopoja		18.3 km	finished
		Pogradec	Tushemisht / NMK		5.9 km	finished
SH 65		Leskovik	Sarandapor (Tre Urat) / GR		11 km	finished
SH 66		SH 94 junction Pojan	Pojan- Apollonia		5 km	finished
SH 67		Junction Kolonja	Ardenica Monastery	Kolonja	4 km	finished
SH 68		at Jeta e Re	Kosova		7 km	finished
SH 69		SH 74 Gllava	Mali i Komarit (antenna, 1132  m above sea level )		3 km	Mountain path
SH 70		Elbasan	Cërrik		13.9 km	finished
SH 71		SH 70 at Shirqan	Maliq	Llixhat  -  Gramsh	119.9 km	mostly finished
		Lushnja	Çorovoda	Berat  -  Poliçan	87.9 km	finished
SH 73		at Patos	at Poshnja	Roskovec	28 km	bad asphalt
SH 74		Advises	Këlcyra		78.3 km	unpaved
		Korça	near Tepelena (Ura e Leklit)	Erseka - Leskovik -  Përmet - Këlcyra	163.1 km	unpaved
SH 76		Tepelena	Vlora	Amantia	78.2 km	partly unpaved
SH 77		SH 76 at Qishbardha	Selenica	Amantia	18.9 km	finished
SH 78		Delvina	at Qafë Gjashtë		13 km	finished
SH 79		at Zëmblak	Pustec / Liqenas / NMK	Liqenas	33.4 km	finished
SH 80		Çarshova	Tre Urat / GR		7.6 km	finished
		Saranda	Butrint	Ksamil	17 km	finished
SH 82		Peshkëpia SH 77	Drashovica SH 76	Ksamil	3 km	finished
SH 83		Blerimas	Çlirim SH 99	Finiq	7 km	finished
SH 84		with Katër Rrugët	Shijak		1 km	finished
		at Shkozet	at Plepa		8.3 km	finished
SH 86		Tirana (tractor factory)	Shkoza		2 km	finished
SH 87			Lin		1 km	finished
SH 88		SH 70 at Mjekës	Road to Gjinar		3 km	not continuously
SH 89		Gramsh	Kukur		3 km
SH 90		Boboshtica	Dardha		14.4 km	finished
SH 91		Ura Vajgurore	Kozarja	Kuçova	9 km	finished
SH 92		SH 92	Perondia ( aircraft factory )		4 km	partly asphalted
SH 93		SH 73	Marinëza		4 km	finished
SH 94		Fier	Seman (beach)		17 km	bad asphalt
SH 95		Orikum	Pashaliman Naval Base		3 km	finished
SH 96		at Dhuvjan	Libohova		7.7 km	finished
SH 97		SH 99 at Mesopotam	Konispol-Qafa Boti / GR		33 km	finished
SH 98		Saranda	Shkalla SH 97		33 km	finished
SH 99		SH 78 near Saranda (Ura e Gjadrit)	Jorgucat	Mesopotam  -  Qafa e Muzinës	28.6 km	finished
SH 100		at Damës (Ura e Povlës)	SH 77 at Pehskëpia	Poçem	28.7 km	hardly asphalted
SH?		at Libonik	at Plasa		12.2 km	finished
SH?		at Fushë-Arrëz	Fierza	Iballa	approx. 60 km	not continuously
SH?		at Korça	at Korça	Korça bypass	6.4 km	finished
SH?		SH 76 at Kota (Qafa e Dushkut)	Borsh		58.4 km	finished
SH?		Fier	at Lalar		10 km	finished
SH?		Bajram Curr	Valbona		24.5 km	finished
SH?		SH 23 at Plepla	Qafa e Prushit / KOS		6.3 km	finished
SH?		SH 31 at Domaj	Bushtrica / DI		15.8 km	finished
SH?		at Mejdan	Tropoja		2.7 km	finished
SH?		Tamara	Vermosh	Qafa e Bordolecit	35 km	finished
SH?		Bilisht	Hoçisht		10.2 km
SH?		SH 79 at Zvezda	at Grabovica		19.7 km	finished
SH?		Tirana (exit Kamza )	Vora	Parallel streets on both sides to	12 km	finished

For cost reasons, many of the motorway-like roads have a roundabout instead of intersection-free entrances and exits . There are also many wild entrances and exits, not only to the many gas stations, but also to villages or individual properties. Efforts are visible on both the SH2 and the SH4 to accommodate these entrances and exits through newly built side streets.

Future projects

Above all, existing gaps in the road network are to be closed with expansion projects. Further projects are aimed at expanding congested sections and optimizing traffic management in the greater Tirana area.

The Great Ring is also being expanded to the east and north. Work on the bypass around Shkodra is also ongoing . The Lezha bypass , which will include an approximately 850 meter long tunnel, is still in the planning phase . The missing bridges on the A1 Autostrada between Kukës and the Kosovar border near Morina are also to be completed . An expansion of the Tepelena bypass has also been announced.

The A1 Autostrada is to be extended further south from Thumana past Fushë-Kruja and Tirana Airport to SH1 near Kashar . In the north, the motorway is to be expanded beyond Lezha. Work has also been done on a more direct connection to Saranda from Kardhiq northwest of Gjirokastra to Delvina with a nearly one kilometer long tunnel. The Rruga e Arbërit is a road project under construction that will connect Tirana directly with the Dibra region in eastern Albania. There are also ideas for the extension of the A3 autostrada from Bradashesh near Elbasan via Berat to Tepelena.

Important projects

No. / character	From (north or west)	To (south or east)	Via	length	comment
	Elbasan	Tepelena	Advises	approx. 79 km	New motorway construction
	Balldren	Milot	Lezha	approx. 18 km	Expansion to the motorway
	Shkodra North	Shkodra south	Shkodra bypass	?	New motorway construction
?	Tirana	Bllata	Bulqiza	approx. 74 km	Rruga e Arbërit ; New expressway construction

Rruga e Arbërit

→ Main article : Rruga e Arbërit

Construction work between Klos and Bulqiza in June 2011

The Tirana- Bulqiza - Dibra line is said to be a well-developed two-lane expressway ( superstradë ) that is 100 kilometers shorter than the current long-distance connection via Milot . Although project drafts for a motorway were also available, such a construction was rejected because the relatively low traffic load would not justify the high costs. Even the design for an expressway connection costs more than 160 million euros for the 76 kilometers between Tirana and Dibra, as several long tunnels and high bridges have to be built. The longest tunnel measures around 3.5 kilometers.

In places, work began as early as 2005. A longer stretch east of Bulqiza was renewed by 2011. West of Bulqiza and the tunnel under the Qafa e Buallit was also built in 2011. It is difficult to estimate the end of construction, especially for the route through the mountains east of Tirana, even if work on various sections of the route was in full swing again in 2018.

On the one hand, the route is intended to significantly shorten the journey between Tirana and Skopje and , on the other hand, to connect the North Macedonian sales market to Italy via Durrës . At 160 million euros for the time being, the total costs are now stated at over 200 million euros (this corresponds to around 2.6 million euros per kilometer).

Web links

Commons : Streets in Albania  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Albanian Road Authority
• Official Directory of Roads in Albania (Ministry of Infrastructure 2018, Albanian, PDF)
• Swiss motorway forum with many pictures
• Forum on road conditions in Albania (German)
• Forum on road conditions in Albania (Albanian, English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Inventari i Rrjetit Rrugor Kombëtar nën administrimin e Autoritetit Rrugor Shqiptar. (PDF) In: Ministria e Infrastruktures dhe Energjise. 2018, accessed May 2, 2020 (Albanian). 
2. ^ ^{A b} Ten Roads that Will Be Completed by 2021. In: Invest in Albania. October 24, 2018, accessed December 16, 2018 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} RTV Klan: Milot-Balldren me tunel 850 metra on YouTube , July 24, 2018, accessed on December 16, 2018.
4. ↑ Studim Fizibiliteti dhe Projektim të rrugëvë të zonës Thumanë - Fushë Krujë - Vorë - Kashar: Raporti i Pergjithshem. (PDF) In: akm.gov.al. May 2016, p. 11 , accessed on December 16, 2018 (Albanian). 
5. ↑ Report TV: Rama inaguron punimet e rrugës Kardhiq-Delvinë on YouTube , September 30, 2018, accessed on December 16, 2018.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Rruga e Arbërit që lidh Maqedoninë e Shqipërinë para përfundimit
7. ↑ Newspaper article on the Tirana-Dibra route ( Rruga e Arbërit ) ( Memento from January 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (Albanian)
8. ↑ Edi Rama: Videoinformacion nga kantieri i Rrugës së Arberit. In: Facebook. August 24, 2018, accessed September 9, 2018 (Albanian).