The consortium of STRABAG and Duna Aszfalt has been awarded the contract to build the Bukojčani–Kičevo motorway
Budapest, October the 13th 2026 – A consortium comprising STRABAG and Duna Aszfalt is to carry out a €219 million infrastructure project in North Macedonia, financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The 11.5-kilometre mountainous motorway will include a twin-tube tunnel approximately 370 metres long, two viaducts and infrastructure associated with the construction of a 2×2-lane carriageway; the contractors will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the completed section for five years.
The consortium of STRABAG and Duna Aszfalt Zrt. has won the international tender for the construction of the Bukojčani–Kičevo section of the E65 motorway in North Macedonia. The public procurement procedure was launched by the North Macedonian Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR) and conducted via the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) electronic procurement system. In a multi-stage tender process lasting more than a year, this consortium was awarded the contract from among ten pre-qualified bidders.
The consortium’s project, with a total value of approximately 219 million euros, encompasses not only the construction of the motorway and the development of the necessary infrastructure, but also the five-year operation and maintenance of the completed section. The planned duration of the construction work is four years.
As part of this project, which forms part of Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII, an 11.5-kilometre-long, dual-carriageway motorway is being built between Bukojčani and Kičevo. The aim of the development is to establish a faster and safer road link between Skopje, the tourist centre of Ohrid and the Albanian border. The new road will link the Gostivar–Bukojčani and Kičevo–Ohrid sections, which are already under construction. As the route runs through mountainous terrain, the project’s key technical elements include a twin-tube tunnel approximately 370 metres long and two viaducts, as well as the construction of associated junctions, bridges, retaining walls, drainage systems and road safety facilities.
“This success marks an important milestone in DUNA GROUP’s international growth and also demonstrates that Hungarian engineering and construction expertise is competitive even in the most complex regional infrastructure developments. We are working together with STRABAG on the construction of a motorway that will improve North Macedonia’s transport links in the long term and strengthen economic cooperation in the region,” said Attila Kerékgyártó, Chairman of the Board of Duna Aszfalt Zrt.
The EBRD is providing a credit line of 110 million euros for the project, whilst the European Union is contributing approximately 20 million euros as non-refundable grants through the Western Balkans Investment Framework.
Construction work is expected to begin in early 2027, following the signing of the contract.
Press contact: sajto@dunaaszfalt.hu / Duna Aszfalt Zrt.
Attached photos:
October the 12th2026 – Ceremonial laying of the foundation stone for the Bukojčani–Kičevo motorway
Hrisztijan Mickoszki / Prime Minister of North Macedonia
Aleksandar Nikoloski / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport of North Macedonia
Source: Ministry of Transport of North Macedonia
