The gate of the fortified tunnel of Porto Palermo opens after 32 years/Rama: Tourist destination

2024-08-11 08:39:00, Politikë CNA

The gate of the fortified tunnel of Porto Palermo opens after 32 years/Rama:

For the first time after 32 years, the gate of the fortified tunnel of Porto Palermo opens.

In a post on social networks, Prime Minister Edi Rama states that this is the first step of a project by the Ministry of Defense for the revitalization and rehabilitation of the entire infrastructure complex in Panorma Bay for military and civilian functions.

"Good morning, and with the opening of the underwater tunnel of Porto Palermo, the project of the Ministry of Defense to turn the fascinating bay of Panorma into a historical tourism destination, where the untouched nature of the bay, placed under protection by the Albanian government, will be combined with the revival of old military buildings, the creation of the Cold War museum, as well as the revival of the famous fortress of Ali Pasha, I wish you a beautiful Sunday", he says.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense announces that the project aims at the good administration of the area, which has started to be a privileged tourist destination, respecting the environmental norms and offering the highest navigational safety conditions.

The next step will be the non-invasive adaptation of the facilities of the complex that no longer enjoy military functions, in order to create a sustainable tourist attraction.

The project also aims to bring back to technical readiness these precious assets of our naval force, which can serve for the purposes of national and international exercises.

The opening of the tunnel was carried out under the direction of the engineering staff of the Engineer Battalion and went without a hitch despite over 3 decades of inactivity.

The tunnel served as an autonomous base for the shelter and safe passage of naval vessels of the time, within the peninsula of Porto Palermo. The opening of the steel gate of this water tunnel lined with reinforced concrete has set its mechanism in motion for the first time in a long time.

The construction of this tunnel began in 1969 and lasted until 1988. It served for the shelter and safe passage of naval vessels of the time, serving simultaneously as a powerful and protected base./CNA