Eng. Apostol Minchev: The idea for the construction of Rila Motorway is extremely good for connectivity and traffic outside Sofia

We must look for ways to use the public-private partnership so as to improve the connectivity and service of the people, said the Regional Deputy Minister Eng. Todor Anastasov  

The idea for the construction of the Rila highway, known as the far southern bypass of Sofia, connecting the Struma, Thracia and Hemus highways, is extremely good in terms of connectivity and traffic outside Sofia. This was stated by the Chairman of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency - Eng. Apostol Minchev, who, along with the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works - Eng. Todor Anastasov, participated in a round table on "Rila Highway - connectivity, corridors, prospects", organised by the Balkan Transport Forum and the Scientific and Technical Transport Union.

The President of RIA stressed that the construction of the Rila highway would support the development of tourism in southwestern Bulgaria, as well as economic initiatives in the region. He reminded that the idea for the construction of the highway dates back more than 20 years as a distant southern bypass of Sofia, but during that time nothing has been realized and expressed hope that the procedures on it will start in the near future.

It will be difficult to convince the government that many times more funds are needed to maintain the road network as it should be in a European country, as well as to continue and improve the construction of highways, which has started but not is going well, said Eng. Minchev.

We need to look for ways to use public-private partnerships or concessions so as to improve our connectivity and service to people, said Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works - Todor Anastasov during the forum. In recent years, this has become a bit of a dirty word, and the first things that were the subject of a public-private partnership or concession were the tunnels, then the highways. This is one of the opportunities we do not use in Bulgaria, especially for such projects, if they are meaningful, economically justified and effective, said the Deputy Minister.

Todor Anastasov was adamant that it is natural to want connectivity, but in many cases we do not get it for natural reasons, such as the mountains, and therefore there are parallel roads, but almost no cross. We do not have an unlimited budget. For this reason, projects need to be better planned and justified. We must try to implement the so-called information systems for pavement management, for the management of bridges, which are based on objective data, on the basis of which political decisions can be made, said the regional deputy minister.