North Macedonia: Poll Shows Doubts Over Kichevo–Ohrid Motorway Deadlines

Expectations for completing North Macedonia's major motorway projects remain low. In a Racin.mk poll of 1,997 people, only 17 percent of respondents said the Kichevo–Ohrid motorway and the sections built by the Bechtel-Enka consortium would be fully completed by 2028. The most votes, 41 percent, went to the option that completion would come in 2030 or later.

For the Kichevo–Ohrid motorway, a contract worth 411 million euros signed in November 2013 required completion by January 2018. An eighth additional contract signed in March 2026 set the deadline at 31 May 2027. According to the State Public Enterprise for State Roads, the project's total value reached 803 million euros as of May 2026.

Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said on 19 October that a tunnel near Preseka and the Izvor–Vrbjani section are expected to open in the coming weeks. The Ministry of Transport said on 11 May 2026 that the Tetovo–Gostivar, Gostivar–Bukojchani and Prilep–Manastir sections are expected to be completed in 2029.