Autostrade of Italy

The Autostrade (Italian: [autoˈstraːde]; singular Autostrada [autoˈstraːda]) are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about 6,758 km. In North and Central Italy this is mainly as tollways, with the biggest portion in concession to the Atlantia group (Autostrade per l'Italia) which operates some 3,408 km. Other operators include ASTM and ATP in the north-west, Serenissima and Autovie Venete in the north-east, SALT and Autocisa in the center, all under the control of the state-owned ANAS.

History

Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways, i.e., fast roads, reserved for motor vehicles. The Milano-Laghi motorway (connecting Milan to Varese) was devised by Piero Puricelli, a civil engineer and entrepreneur. He received the first authorization to build a public-utility fast road in 1921, and completed the construction (one lane each direction) between 1924 and 1926. By the end of the 1930s, over 400 kilometers of multi- and dual-single-lane motorways were constructed throughout Italy, linking cities and rural towns.

Albania–Kosovo Highway

The Albania–Kosovo Highway (Rruga e Kombit in Albania or Rruga "Dr. Ibrahim Rugova" in Kosovo), is a four-lane highway constructed from 2007 to 2013 by the American-Turkish consortium Bechtel-ENKA, Austrian, and Albanian companies between Albania and Kosovo. The highway starts near Lezhe, Albania as A1, passes through Kukes as SH5, enters Prizren in Kosovo as R7, and ends in Pristina near Gjergjica, Kosovo. Ultimately, as part of the South-East European Route 7, the highway will connect the Adriatic Sea ports of Durres and Shengjin in Albania via Pristina, with the E75/Corridor X near Niš, Serbia.

Dubbed the “patriotic highway”, the project links Albanians in Kosovo and Albania, helping to boost cultural and economic ties. The project is Albania's largest in decades, costing over one billion euros. It includes a six kilometer tunnel in Albania, making travel and trade easier for the hundreds of thousands of people vacationing in Albania during summer holidays and for business.