TIRANA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 50 percent of Albania's bridges are in poor condition, Albanian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Artan Shkreli said on Friday at a round-table meeting on road safety in Albania.
According to Shkreli, most bridges, mainly in north Albania, have fallen into decay due to the long period of use and lack of maintenance.
Shkreli added that according to a monitoring and inspection report, which has started in October 2018 with view to determining the benchmark for bridge safety and eventual repairs, the experts have defined a number of bridges on the national roads that need urgent repair.
In her remarks, Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku emphasized the necessity to have a national plan for the rehabilitation of the roads and bridges in use for over 50 years.
Officials of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and Albanian Road Authority gathered here to discuss the conditions of bridges and road safety around the country.
