30 km from Struma Motorway will be completed ahead of schedule this year

30 km from Struma Motorway will be completed ahead of schedule by the end of this year. This was announced by Nikolay Nankov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, during his participation in the Bulgarian National Radio show People, Roads, Cars.

The Minister explained that the deadline for construction of the 24.6 km section between Kresna and Sandanski is in May 2019, but its construction is expected to end 5 or 6 months earlier. “By November this year, almost 6 km in the section from Blagoevgrad to Zheleznitsa should be completed,” he added. “The Zheleznica tunnel and the sections before and after it, which are 4 km in total, are still to be finished, and 19-20 km in the section through the Kresna Gorge. I expect signing of the contract for the construction of the Zheleznitsa tunnel this year, now that we have overcome the problems and deficits of the caretaker government.

“We are currently proceeding with the parcel plan for Lot 3.2 on the motorway. There is a positive decision by the Ministry of Environment and Water on the EIA, which is being appealed. On February 19, the case on the complaints will be tried and it’s already single-instance proceedings. If the court decision is in our favor, in May we can open tender procedures for the plot,” Nikolay Nankov commented. “I’m sure that we will be able to finish this section in 2023,” he said.

Regarding the protests demanding the construction of the Vidin-Botevgrad motorway, the Regional Minister commented that the project was underway for a second year in a row and was in a very advanced stage. “We have the same goal - the fastest possible implementation of construction,” Nikolay Nankov stressed. “It will be done in stages, starting from the most challenging one. A building permit will be issued and in March the public procurement for the 33 km Botevgrad-Mezdra section will be launched and will be divided into three sections with five road connections. The design of more than 30 km in the Vidin-Dimovo-Ruzhintsi section is almost completed. The engineering design is being prepared using funds under Operational Program Transport and Transport Infrastructure and this year we will launch the relevant tender procedures as well. These sections can be completed by 2022,” he informed.

“We have commissioned and will develop feasibility studies for the construction of the tunnel under the Petrohan Pass,” the Minister said. “Geological studies and evaluation will also be performed. With that amount of funding, such an idea could be implemented in 8 or 9 years,” Nikolay Nankov commented and explained that these projects would be financed with budget funds through the revenue generated from the toll system.

Similar to Struma Motorway, for the project for the construction of the Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo motorway there is also a complaint filed with the Supreme Administrative Court, which is single-instance proceedings. “The arguments are unfounded,” the Regional Minister commented and explained that the State has committed to build a speed road from the motorway to the Gorna Oryahovitsa Airport and the industrial zone to ensure accessibility. Regarding the concerns of the inhabitants of the village of Hotnitsa, who disagree with the planned construction of a bridge in the area of ​​the village, Minister Nankov pointed out that it would be built in compliance with all up-to-date rules and safety standards. “The motorway will not end in the middle of nowhere, it is a part of European Corridor 9,” he added. “We need to build it as quickly as possible. In terms of timeframe and implementation, our priorities lay in the Ruse-Byala section and the surroundings of Byala,” the Minister emphasized. “We’ve made a commitment and in 2017 we did a complete rehabilitation of 12 km of the so-called Belenski Bair. This year we continue towards Ruse and at the roundabout in addition to repairing the damage to the roadside barriers we’ll put rumble strips to remind the drivers that they’re approaching it,” the Minister explained.

“We have a regular issue in the road sector, which is under-funded. We found a regular solution - we solve it by building the toll system. It will change the pattern, which is currently unfair. In 2017, the revenue from vignettes amounted BGN 352 million, two thirds of which generated by cars,” commented Minister Nankov. The toll system will change this pattern. In the first year after its introduction we expect more than BGN 1 billion of revenues, which will mainly come from transit traffic, and this is the first time we will take advantage of our situation,” he said.

In response to a question, Nikolay Nankov explained that the policy pursued over the last two years, according to which separate road sections are closed for heavy-load trucks in difficult situations, allows for faster and more efficient cleaning.