By Imeldi Sokoli
After Albania, Montenegro no longer prioritizes the construction of the Buna Bridge connecting Velipoja with Ulcinj.
After news from various portals in Albania about the removal from the list of projects with mature status as projects of national importance of the Albanian government, I had to do some research on this fact for Montenegro as well. According to the materials collected, the fact was that the Buna River Bridge project was expected to be reconfirmed by the Review process of the National General Plan 2040 of Montenegro, which was finalized in June 2025. From this review process in which the main public investments of Montenegro are channeled, the Buna River Bridge Project is not mentioned at any point and no infrastructure project connecting Ulcinj with Velipoja is foreseen.
According to this Plan, a major importance is given to the Tivar-Boljare road axis, which is the main axis towards the Central Balkans area and establishes the connection with the Pan-European Corridor No. 10, which is considered the main axis of mobility towards Central Europe. We also have a placement of the Adriatic-Ionian axis in the segments that cross Montenegro, moving this axis no longer to the Montenegrin Riviera but to the Tivar-Cetinje-Trebinje route.
This review of the General National Plan of Montenegro in relation to Albania has 3 priority axes, the Adriatic-Ionian Axis through Muriqan, the Shkodër-Podgorica Axis through Hani i Hoti as well as the Axis in the Vermoshi area which is connected to the Plavë-Guci-Andrijenavicë axis. In this context, the Ulcinj-Velipoja Axis but also the connection between the two countries in the Krajë area (Zogaj-Skje) seem not to be seen as priorities to strengthen cross-border mobility by both countries.
Of course, these facts once again refute Albania's propaganda for undertaking infrastructure projects in the north of the country which remain only on paper, time proves this every day, as in the case of segments of the Adriatic-Ionian Highway (Muriqan-Shkodër-Tirana), as in the case of the Shkodër-Gjakovë road (which, quite coincidentally, the government does not mention the fact that it is a white road, meaning that it is simply an open path without asphalt layers) and also, finally, with the much-hyped project of the bridge over the Buna River connecting Velipoja with Ulcinj.
Below are links to two articles that explain the project in question.
https://www.ekapija.com/news/5210972/novi-prostorni-plan-crne-gore-predvidja-623-km-autoputeva-i-brzih-cesti
https://en.vijesti.me/news-b/economy-d/742554/spatial-plan-and-bridge-on-Bojana%2C-joint-project-of-Montenegro-and-Albania%2C-still-pending
The map below presents the main infrastructure interventions in Montenegro within the framework of the National General Plan Review 2040.
