STOP NATO: �NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Get a low APR NextCard Visa in 30 seconds! 1. Fill in the brief application 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds 3. Get rates as low as 2.99% Intro or 9.99% Ongoing APR and no annual fee! Apply NOW! http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/NextCard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "That's also why the World Bank, OPEC and the state of Italy all together is putting 23 million dollars in up-grading the main Albanian harbor. KFOR is also increasing it's the storage area with 25 percent from today's 7,000 cubic metres. "In other words, KFOR's alternative to Thessaloniki seems to be heading in the right direction." "The road was originally build as a transport route. The Julia Regiment of the Italian Army started building it 60 years ago," he says, adding even more smilingly: "Now they are back. They have fulfilled the circle." ======================================= KFOR Online 20 June 2001 King of the road to Kosovo Text: Lt-Cdr. Rune Berge - Photo: WO Manfred Egger King of the road: Chief Engineer Capt. David Mallory is KFOR's maintenance man on the alternative supply road through the mountains of Albania. DURRES: It might not be that much to be proud of, but Capt. David Mallory in COMZ WEST is KFOR's Chief Engineer in charge of maintenance of the Kosovo forces alternative supply road through Albania. Everyone that has driven along what KFOR classes as Line of Communication North (LOC North), knows that this route from the Albanian port of Durres to Kosovo can be called anything but a highway. But still, that is exactly what it is. The track that leads traffic from the main port in Albania through the Albanian mountains and into Kosovo, is the country's main road to it's eastern neighbour. It is also KFOR's alternative to the Thessaloniki connection. Today, almost all KFOR supplies are being shipped through this Greek port, and LOC North has more or less been a sleeping "beauty" that looks best on paper. That beauty might however, turn out to be close to a nightmare for the KFOR drivers if they one day have to bring all Kosovo supplies this way. That should worry Capt. David Mallory, but he is surprisingly optimistic when it comes to judging this as a realistic alternative to the FYROM highways. "I'm not saying it would be enjoyable and it would certainly take some time, but it is possible to ship everything to Kosovo through Albania." His smile leaves no doubt that he actually means it. "The road was originally built as a transport route. The Julia Regiment of the Italian Army started building it 60 years ago ," he says, adding even more smilingly: "Now they are back. They have fulfilled the circle." He's right And as a matter of fact, the US Captain is right. It is possible to drive trucks across the Albanian mountains and he is also right about it not being enjoyable. But the road was made 60 years ago, and not much has been done to improve it since them. "We have meetings with the Albanian government, and we are concentrating on where to put in resources, and on who should do what. After all, Albania is a sovereign state and it is their task to fix their own roads. NATO is therefore not planning to build entirely new roads, we are only up grading the three main routes to Kosovo and FYROM. For the moment we have seven up grading projects that are on-going in Albania, and there is an engineer exercise building a bypass which is also on-going in Milor," Mallory says to the Chronicle, adding: "KFOR is only a backup for this exercise which is called Cornerstone 2001." The bypass building is being carried out by Greek, Bulgarian, Albanian and US engineers. The KFOR projects on LOC North includes up-grading of four bridges, one underpass, one tunnel and one repair of a road wash out. "We plan to use 200,000 DM on maintenance of LOC North this year. As I see it, any money put into the roads here in Albania, are definitely worth it. Anything will be an improvement from how it is today." He also tells us that there are plans to do something about the LOC North in the near future. "It is apparent that we have to look at these roads in the mountains, they are our main obstacle to Kosovo. The knowledge to do the job is already available, it's just the funding that is lacking," Mallory says. He admits however: "It will take some time before LOC North reaches the level of a highway." LOC South The up grading on LOC South is however, speeding ahead. Financed by joint donations from the EU, the World Bank, Italy and Kuwait, the speed of improvement of the highway is streets ahead of the LOC North standard. "It was the Romans that started building this road two thousand years ago. The idea was to link Thessaloniki and Constantinople (Istanbul) with Skopje and the port of Durres. Now the international community is finishing this work." That's also why the World Bank, OPEC and the state of Italy all together is putting 23 million dollars in up-grading the main Albanian harbor. KFOR is also increasing it's the storage area with 25 percent from today's 7,000 cubic metres. In other words, KFOR's alternative to Thessaloniki seems to be heading in the right direction. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
