An Euro 375-million highway will connect the cities of Kicevo and Ohrid paving the way toward mitigated transportation of passengers and goods and economic and tourism development.

Construction works for the 57-km motorway were launched Saturday at a groundbreaking ceremony near the Kicevo village of Izvor attended by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, ministers, ambassadors, mayors...

"The investment of this major project is estimated at nearly 375 million euros, thus being the highest infrastructural investment in the past 50 years in Macedonia," said Premier Gruevski adding that the funding had been provided through a loan by China's Exim Bank.

The 25.2-meter highway will be built in two directions with three lanes. A 2-km tunnel, seven larger bridges and 14 smaller ones and other accompanying infrastructure are expected to be featured on the highway.

The project will be realized by Sinohydro Corporation Ltd from China. Construction works are to be kicked off simultaneously on three locations in order to be completed in four years' time. Several construction and other companies from Macedonia will be included in the project. Under the contract, 51% of the workforce will be from Macedonia.

The most important advantage of the new highway is the opportunity for better, quicker and safer communication between the settlements in the regions of Kicevo and Ohrid, according to Gruevski.

"The connection between western Macedonia and its capital Skopje is certainly no less important. Other numerous benefits from the construction of this highway include economic improvement during and after the process of construction. I expect many jobs to be created in the construction companies involved in the project," the PM noted.

In the next four years, Macedonia will get an additional 132-km highway network with the construction of the motorways connecting Miladinovci and Stip, Kicevo and Ohrid and Demir Kapija and Smokvica.