Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway

Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 8Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - MakazaMinister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 1Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 2Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 3Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 4Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 5Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 6Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 7Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway - 8Minister Ivan Shishkov: By the end of 2028, it is planned to complete the construction of the section Ruse - Byala and the bypass of Byala from Ruse - Makaza Motorway

It is planned that the Ruse – Byala section and the bypass road of the town of Byala, with a total length of 70 km, the construction of which is co-financed by European funds, will be completed by the end of 2028, announced the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works arch. Ivan Shishkov when checking the progress in the construction of the Ruse - Byala section from the future highway from Ruse to Makaza. The inspection was also attended by MPs from Progressive Bulgaria from the region, Deputy Minister Pavleta Pelovska, Regional Governor of Ruse Prof. Lyubomir Vladimirov, Eng. Ventsislav Angelov – member of the Management Board of RIA, mayors of municipalities from Ruse region, the site manager Ventsislav Gadzhalov and other representatives of the contractors.

In 2023, in the mandate of the caretaker cabinet, we launched this large infrastructure site, reminded Minister Shishkov. He added that the continuation of the bypass of Byala to Veliko Tarnovo will be hectic. A detailed development plan for the route is planned to be commissioned within about 30-40 days, he said. And reminded that as caretaker minister in 2023 he issued an order to allow its elaboration. He was adamant that the highway would be designed in its entirety next to Makaza. It is planned that within a year and a half there will be a conceptual design and a detailed development plan for the route from Veliko Tarnovo to Makaza, for which a concessionaire will be sought. "These forgotten highways in Bulgaria will be built. Because every part of Bulgaria needs to have a very different connection. And this connectivity is not only regional,” arch. Shishkov.

The regional minister reminded that the route inspected today has a length of 40 km. It builds a number of complex engineering facilities. Arch. Shishkov pointed out that in recent years no viaducts with parameters such as those provided for in the section have been built. There are two in construction, one with a height of 85 m and a length of 700 m, and another with a height of nearly 45 m and a length of 800 m.

“The construction of all major infrastructure projects in Bulgaria is an exceptional priority for us. The sites being built will be constantly analyzed and checked, because it is extremely important to meet the deadlines and have good quality. The undesigned construction of the infrastructure projects will continue at a completely different pace, because currently only objects are being built in Bulgaria, which were the result of our efforts in 2023 – the bypass of Kresna, Ruse – Byala and the bypass of Byala. Everything that was done with great effort in our caretaker cabinet at the time did not find any continuation. This will be changed very soon, but until we approve the new detailed development plans, until we expropriate the necessary terrains, we will focus the construction in these sections to go within the relevant deadlines and with the appropriate quality. I think that in 4 years Bulgaria will be different,” he was adamant.

“For years, people in Northern Bulgaria have been waiting for this project to turn from promise to reality. The Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway is not a regional whim, but a national necessity," said the regional governor Lyubomir Vladimirov.

In response to a question from media representatives about the loess soils available along the route of the highway section, Minister Shishkov stressed that more intensive work will be done to solve the problems. "Every construction has challenges. The issue is this challenge for the state and the builders to respond adequately,” he said and added that joint meetings are being held in order to make adequate decisions.

“Gabrovo’s walk shows only one thing – that in time back they brought us to the point where they were building chaotically, that there is no connectivity, that there are no highways. Because what we have – this is not a highway,” Minister Shishkov said in response to a question about the construction of the tunnel under Shipka. And reminded that the bypass road of Gabrovo has one lane in the direction.

A project for the repair of the road from Pleven to Botevgrad, commissioned in 2023, is to be approved, and the last three months are actively working to complete and coordinate this project, the Minister also informed, "The last two or three years literally nothing has happened - where we left them, there we found them", he added. He stressed that when carrying out major repairs of the republican roads, a very accurate analysis of the temporary traffic organization should be made in order to determine the bypass routes.

In response to a question whether the holes along the Byala - Pleven route will not at least be filled, Minister Shishkov stressed that this will be done to ensure safety, but money is given for this activity pointlessly. Arch. Shishkov emphasized that in the mandate of the caretaker cabinet in 2023, it was found that since 2017, the necessary projects for carrying out major road repairs were missing, and this was the management of roads in backward time. Now it will be different, he stressed and reminded that the major repair projects were set in 2023, when another look at infrastructure management in Bulgaria was offered, which, however, no one responded to and no one continued at the desired pace.