There are hundreds of bridges and bridge ruins found throughout Albania. A total of 90 have achieved the status of monument of cultural heritage.[1] The oldest standing bridge in the country is the Kauri Bridge[citation needed], located in the village of Poshnjë, it dates back to the late antiquity.
The longest spanning bridge is the Shushica Bridge (520 m)[citation needed], it crosses the Devoll river as a segment of the Banjë-Gramsh road. The two highest bridges in the country are the Fshat Bridge and the Vasha Bridge, respectively 157 m (515 ft) and 152 m (499 ft) high.[2] They are part of the important Arbër Road project which aims to connect the central region of the country with the western border of North Macedonia in a much shorter period than the old route.
Only 72 bridges built during the Ottoman period have survived.[1]
Name | Albanian | Distinction | Length | Type | Carries Crosses |
Opened | Location | County | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kasabashit Bridge | Ura e Kasabashit | Cultural Monument | 26 m (85 ft) | Masonry 1 pointed arch |
Footbridge Vlosh |
1640 | Çorovodë 40°30′56.3″N 20°14′34.6″E / 40.515639°N 20.242944°E |
Berat County | [3] | |
2 | Vizier Bridge submerged |
Ura e Vezirit | Masonry | Footbridge Drin (river) |
17th century | Kukës |
Kukës County | [4] [5] | |||
3 | Kamares Bridge | Ura e Kamares | Cultural Monument | 40 m (130 ft) | Masonry 2 segmental arches |
Footbridge Shkumbin |
1715 | Mirakë 41°10′14.0″N 20°15′43.7″E / 41.170556°N 20.262139°E |
Elbasan County | [6] | |
4 | Mesi Bridge | Ura e Mesit | Span : 21.5 m (71 ft) Cultural Monument |
130 m (430 ft) | Masonry 13 semi-circular arches |
Footbridge Kir (river) |
1768 | Mes 42°06′52.1″N 19°34′30.2″E / 42.114472°N 19.575056°E |
Shkodër County | [S 1] [7] | |
5 | Bahçallëk Bridge destroyed in 1880 |
Ura e Bahçallëkut | Masonry 5 semi-circular arches |
1768 | Shkodër 42°02′32.6″N 19°29′34.5″E / 42.042389°N 19.492917°E |
Shkodër County | [8] [9] | ||||
6 | Gorica Bridge | Ura e Goricës | Historic Centre of Berat![]() Cultural Monument |
129 m (423 ft) | Masonry 7 semi-circular arches |
Former road bridge Osum |
1780 | Berat 40°42′11.5″N 19°56′40.7″E / 40.703194°N 19.944639°E |
Berat County | [S 2] [10] | |
7 | Kadiu Bridge | Ura e Katiut | Cultural Monument | 30 m (98 ft) | Masonry 1 pointed arch |
Footbridge Lengaricë |
18th century | Bënjë-Novoselë 40°14′39.8″N 20°25′57.0″E / 40.244389°N 20.432500°E |
Gjirokastër County | [11] | |
8 | Tanners' Bridge | Ura e Tabakëve | Cultural Monument | Masonry 2 semi-circular arches |
Footbridge Former Lanë |
18th century | Tirana 41°19′35.1″N 19°49′33.8″E / 41.326417°N 19.826056°E |
Tirana County | [S 3] [12] | ||
9 | Vasha Bridge (18th century) | Ura e Vashës | 11 m (36 ft) | Masonry 1 semi-circular arch |
Footbridge Mat (river) |
18th century | Klos 41°28′03.1″N 20°06′16.4″E / 41.467528°N 20.104556°E |
Dibër County | [13] | ||
10 | Kordhocë bridge | Ura e Kordhocës | Masonry 5 arches (4 semi-circular and 1 segmental) |
Footbridge Drino |
1820 | Kordhocë 40°03′39.8″N 20°10′24.2″E / 40.061056°N 20.173389°E |
Gjirokastër County | [14] | |||
11 | Beçishtit Bridge | Ura e Beçishtit | 260 m (850 ft) | Suspension Steel, masonry piers |
Footbridge Vjosa |
20th century | Tepelenë 40°17′51.8″N 20°01′26.3″E / 40.297722°N 20.023972°E |
Gjirokastër County | [15] | ||
12 | Bushtrica Bridge | Ura e Bushtricës | Highest railway bridge in Albania Height : 48 m (157 ft) |
255 m (837 ft) | Beam bridge Prestressed concrete |
Rrogozhinë–Pogradec railway Shkumbini |
1973 | Prrenjas 41°05′55.4″N 20°26′35.7″E / 41.098722°N 20.443250°E |
Elbasan County | [S 4] |
Name | Albanian | Span | Length | Type | Carries Crosses |
Opened | Location | County | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Drini Bridge | Ura e Drinit | 270 m (890 ft) | 310 m (1,020 ft) | Arch Steel tied arch Bow-string bridge |
2021 | Kukës 42°04′27.9″N 20°24′26.5″E / 42.074417°N 20.407361°E |
Kukës County | [16] | ||
2 | Vasha Bridge under construction |
Ura e Vashës | 316 m (1,037 ft) | Arch Steel deck arch |
2023 | Klos 41°28′25.8″N 20°06′11.3″E / 41.473833°N 20.103139°E |
Dibër County | [2] | |||
3 | Fshat Bridge under construction |
Ura e Fshatit | Arch Steel deck arch |
2023 | Klos 41°28′40.3″N 20°04′36.3″E / 41.477861°N 20.076750°E |
Dibër County | [2] | ||||
4 | Buna River Bridge project |
Ura Velipojë - Ulqin | 139 m (456 ft) | 310 m (1,020 ft) | Beam bridge Composite steel/concrete 85+139+85 |
Road bridge Bojana (river) |
Velipojë–Ulcinj 41°52′43.6″N 19°22′38.0″E / 41.878778°N 19.377222°E |
Shkodër County![]() |
[17] | ||
5 | Dragot Bridge | Ura e Dragotit | 108 m (354 ft) | 108 m (354 ft) | Truss Steel |
National road SH75 Vjosa |
1935 | Tepelenë 40°17′32.8″N 20°04′44.8″E / 40.292444°N 20.079111°E |
Gjirokastër County | [18] [19] |
Name | Region | Built | Length | Width | Height | Crosses | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beçisht Bridge | Tepelenë | 1819 | 200 m (660 ft) | 6 m (20 ft) | Vjosë | Ottoman era, connects 7 villages along the Vjosë river | |
Brataj Bridge | Vlorë | 16th century | 50 m (160 ft) | 4 m (13 ft) | 12 m (39 ft) | Shushicë | Ottoman era |
Bridges over Gjanica | Fier | 1777, 1935, etc | The 7 pedestrian bridges that span the Gjanica river are located within the Fier city limits | ||||
Old Buna Bridge | Shkodër | 1889 | 166 m (545 ft) | Buna river | |||
New Buna Bridge | Shkodër | 2011 | 275.5 m (904 ft) | 13.5 m (44 ft) | 6 m (20 ft) | Buna river | Swingbridge |
Bushtrica Bridge | Librazhd | 1973 | 50 m (160 ft) | Railway bridge | |||
Dragoti Bridge | Tepelenë | 1935 | 108 m (354 ft) | 5 m (16 ft) | Vjosë | ||
Drini Bridge | Kukës | 2021 | 270 m (890 ft) | 23.213 m (76.16 ft) | 10 m (33 ft) | ||
Erzen Bridge | Shijak | 1949 | 91 m (299 ft) | Railway bridge | |||
Goliku Bridge | Pogradec | 17th century | 17 m (56 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) | 10 m (33 ft) | Shkumbin | Ottoman era, near the village of Mokër |
Gomsiqe Bridge | Pukë | ||||||
Gorica Bridge | Berat | 1780, 1927 | 129.3 m (424 ft) | 5.3 m (17 ft) | 10 m (33 ft) | Osum | Ottoman era |
Kaçarello Bridge | Dropull | 1780s | Kaçarello | Ottoman era, located in the village of Hllomo | |||
Kadiu Bridge | Përmet | 1760 | 37 m (121 ft) | 7 m (23 ft) | Lengaricë | Ottoman era | |
Kamara Bridge | Librazhd | 1715 | 40 m (130 ft) | 3.5 m (11 ft) | Shkumbin | Ottoman era, near the village of Mirakë | |
Kasabashi Bridge | Çorovodë | 1640 | 26 m (85 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) | Osum | Ottoman era | |
Kordhocë Bridge | Gjirokastër | 1820 | 20 m (66 ft) | 3.7 m (12 ft) | 7 m (23 ft) | Drino | Ottoman era |
Kukës Bridge | Kukës | Drini i Zi River | |||||
Mat Bridge | Kurbin | 1927 | River Mat | Named after King Zogu. | |||
Mesi Bridge | Shkodër | 1768 | 108 m (354 ft) | 3.4 m (11 ft) | 12.5 m (41 ft) | Kir | Ottoman era |
Orgockë Bridge | Kolonjë | 17th century | 63 m (207 ft) | 3.4 m (11 ft) | Ottoman era, has been badly damaged in recent years by heavy rainfall | ||
Pishkash Bridge | Librazhd | 1973 | 32 m (105 ft) | Railway bridge, segment Elbasan-Prrenjas | |||
Prokop Bridge | Himarë | 1878 | 7 m (23 ft) | 3.8 m (12 ft) | 4 m (13 ft) | Ottoman era, located east of the historic center of Himarë | |
Qukës Bridge 1, 2 | Librazhd | 1973 | 30 m (98 ft), 25 m (82 ft) | Railway bridge, segment Elbasan-Prrenjas | |||
St. John the Baptist Bridge | Moscopole | 1771 | 51.7 m (170 ft) | 4.6 m (15 ft) | 8 m (26 ft) | Ottoman era, connects the village with the St. John the Baptist Monastery. | |
Shtrezë Bridge | Kukës | Segment of the Kukës-Shishtavec road | |||||
Skavica Bridge | Kukës | Black Drin tributary | Bailey bridge | ||||
Tanners' Bridge | Tirana | 18th century | 8 m (26 ft) | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) | 3.5 m (11 ft) | Lanë | Ottoman era |
Tarazhi Bridge | Rrëshen | 1989 | 800 m (2,600 ft) | 38 m (125 ft) | Railway bridge | ||
Tatzat Bridge | Delvinë | 1537-1570 | 12 m (39 ft) | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) | 5 m (16 ft) | Ottoman era, located in the village of Vergo | |
Old Vasha Bridge | Mat | 18th century | 11 m (36 ft) | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) | 7 m (23 ft) | Mat | Ottoman era |
Vasha Bridge | Klos | 2021 | 250 m (820 ft) | 158 m (518 ft) | Part of Arbër Highway | ||
Velabisht Bridge | Berat | 1760 | 70 m (230 ft) | 7 m (23 ft) | 7 m (23 ft) | Osum | Ottoman era |
Vokopolë Bridge | Berat | 1750s | 43 m (141 ft) | Çorofgjat | Ottoman era, connecting the villages of Vokopolë and Tërpan | ||
Zëmblak Bridge | Maliq | 54 m (177 ft) | Devoll | Near the village of Zëmblak. | |||
Zoto Bridge | Vithkuq | 19th century | 30 m (98 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) | 3.8 m (12 ft) | Ottoman era, located at the entrance of the historic village of Vithkuq | |
Zvërnec Bridge | Vlorë | 2018 | 280 m (920 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) | Connects visitors to the Zvërnec Monastery |