The cafe near the Hotolisht administrative unit in the town of Librazhd began to fill up little by little on Sunday morning. The villagers gathered for the umpteenth time to discuss the Elbasan-Qafë Thanë road expansion project.
Among them, announced on social media, were the presence of opposition party candidates. It seems that they considered the meeting an opportunity to be politically active, as the weekend marked the official start of the election campaign.
However, the residents' common concern is far from politics: the lack of transparency about the fate of their village, which is cut through by the road project, affecting 25 houses and several agricultural plots.
Two months ago, residents submitted a petition with 511 signatures to central institutions, but the only response they received was that "the project is under review." They emphasize that they are not against the construction of the road, but are seeking a solution that does not destroy the community.
Asllan Çota, one of the residents whose home is at risk, present at the meeting, told Citizens.al with concern that he felt uncertain about the future.
"I've been working for 50 years, since I was 14. Now I'm retired, that's all we have, if these [house and land] are affected then it's all for nothing! Better to take them with us... and end this job!"
Alfred Alliu, a resident of the village, shared the same concern. He said that the village has been developing for several decades on its current land and does not have its origins in the 90s. Meanwhile, the road project now risks dividing it in half, destroying everything that has been built.
Residents are seeking alternative solutions. To this end, they have proposed two solutions: building a tunnel or diverting the road along the Shkumbin River.
"The solution for us is the tunnel or the Shkumbini side, which does not affect us and does not harm our community," Alliu argues.
"It won't affect us with a tunnel. If it's open [as it is], it will affect all the houses," Cota added.
For journalist Osman Stafa, involved as an activist with the residents' concerns, the disregard for institutions stems from the electoral situation in which the country finds itself.
"Citizens are asking where this road will pass, how this road will pass, what this road will affect, and to change the forms of how the demolition of houses or even agricultural land can be compensated," emphasized Stafa, who was of the opinion that residents are not being given an answer to avoid a reaction.
At the end of the meeting, the residents agreed to protest on April 20, with the aim of inciting an institutional response. This is not the first time the community has raised its voice. Since 2024, they have held meetings with local authorities, but have never received an official response from the Librazhd municipality or the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The Elbasan-Qafë Thanë road is part of Corridor VIII, a strategic axis connecting Durrës with Varna in Bulgaria.
Works on this road began in January 2023 with a deadline of 2026. So far, 11 companies have tendered for eight lots with a total value of 183 million euros (excluding VAT).
Read also:
- "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" divides the village of Hotolisht in Librazhd; residents seek a solution
- Librazhd: Over 500 residents of Hotolisht petition against the road that divides the village
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
