Residents of Hotolisht in Librazhd blocked the Librazhd-Përrenjas national road for several minutes today, in protest against the "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" road project, which is expected to pass through the middle of the village, affecting at least 25 homes.
"We want roads, but not community division" was the main message conveyed today by the residents, who, with children and the elderly, stood for about 15 minutes at a symbolic sign in the middle of the road.
For months, this community has been peacefully organizing, opposing the project through petitions, official letters, and meetings with authorities.
"We are not against the road, we are against the destruction of our area, while there are alternatives that could allow the road to pass and not destroy Hotolishti," one of the protesting residents said.
They also pointed out that for eight months they have not received any official response from the government regarding the identification of houses affected by the project. In the meantime, the ministry has stated that the project is under review.
Another concern raised by the community is the value of the proposed compensation for the affected houses – 270 euros/m² – which they consider unacceptable.
"Come on, try building your own houses with that much money. Can you?" said another resident, emphasizing that for them, homes are the best possible investment of their lives.
As a solution, residents are demanding that the road pass through a tunnel or be diverted towards the Shkumbini valley, avoiding damage to the residential area.
During the protest, there were numerous police forces present at the scene. The rally was peaceful, while residents warned that they will protest again next Sunday if there is no institutional response.
Been protesting for months
Since 2024, when works to expand the "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" road have approached the village of Hotolishti, residents have expressed their opposition to a project with which they were not consulted.
According to the residents, there was no public hearing held with them, while they learned that the road would pass through their residential neighborhood from employees who went to the field to take measurements.
They sent a petition of 511 signatures to central institutions requesting alternative solutions, through a tunnel or by passing through the Shkumbini valley.
So far, there has been no response from state institutions, and even at the meeting that Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku promised to hold last week, she did not show up to listen to the residents.
This segment that affects the village of Hotolisht is the eighth phase of the project and starts about 140 meters from the turn to the place called Rrethi i Bardhë and ends about 300 meters from the turn to the village of Xhyre. The winning company for this segment is "Fusha" shpk, which signed the contract in July 2024.
Works on the "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" road began in January 2023 as part of Corridor VIII that connects the port of Durres with the port of Varna in Bulgaria, a connection considered strategic for the transport of goods and citizens.
According to the Road Authority, the eight lots tendered so far are estimated to cost over 183 million euros and are expected to be completed within 2026.
Read also:
- The "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" road divides the village of Hotolisht in Librazhd.
- Over 500 residents of Hotolisht petition against the road that divides the village
- No information about the road project, Hotolishti warns of protest
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).
