Mitrovica, July 1, 2025
The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atiq, the Deputy Mayor of South Mitrovica, Arian Tahiri, the Acting Minister of Local Government Administration and Chair of the Joint Board of the Two Municipalities, Elbert Krasniqi, and the Acting Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu, took part today in the laying of the foundations for two new bridges over the Ibër River in Mitrovica.
The new bridge for vehicles and pedestrians will be 51 meters long and 10 meters wide, including sidewalks of 3 meters (1.5 meters on each side). The second bridge, designated for pedestrian use only, will be 41 meters long and 3.7 meters wide. These two projects are the result of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure and the two municipalities of Mitrovica. Their total value is close to 3 million euros. The construction is expected to be completed by autumn.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that by building these bridges, “we are demonstrating our commitment to fostering more communication, movement, cooperation, and exchange between the north and the south.”
“There are a total of 77 bridges over the Ibër River across three countries—Montenegro, the Republic of Kosovo, and Serbia. Of these, 35 are in Kosovo. These two new bridges will bring the total number of bridges over the Ibër River in the Republic of Kosovo to 37”, the Prime Minister noted.
He expressed his gratitude to the mayors of both municipalities, the citizens, the contractors and their workers, as well as the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure.
Minister Liburn Aliu stated that the projects for these two bridges stem from the requests of both North and South Mitrovica municipalities and are a product of the Memorandums of Cooperation signed with the Ministry. He provided more details about the new pedestrian bridge, which he said will connect the squares on both sides of the river and thus expand the area for walking and recreation in public spaces.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi described the construction of the two new bridges as a valuable opportunity to connect citizens from the north to the south and vice versa within Mitrovica. He announced that the Functional Board of Mitrovica, which he chairs, has also prioritized additional activities and infrastructure projects, including a joint urban public transport system, for which the new bridge will be ideal. He described this as a very important moment for all citizens of both municipalities in Mitrovica, as well as for the country as a whole.
