Petya Avramova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works: In 2019, new roads will be built for nearly BGN 1 billion
Petya Avramova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works: In 2019, new roads will be built for nearly
By Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works
In 2019, nearly 119 km of new roads will be built with funds from the budget, the Operational Programme “Transport and Transport Infrastructure” and the Connected Europe Mechanism, said in an interview with BTA the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Petya Avramova.
The indicative value of these sites is about BGN 1 billion. At the same time, rehabilitation and major repairs of 709 km of national roads are being carried out, Avramova added. The investments amount to nearly BGN 516 million.
In total, the projects that have been given the green light this year are worth BGN 3.7 billion, said Minister Avramova.
She reminded of the prepared new ordinance for road design, in which one of the measures to improve travel safety is to increase the requirements for drainage of the roadway in order to avoid creating conditions for “aquaplaning”. Lighting will be installed in areas with more complex traffic to ensure greater visibility and safety. Greater freedom is given in determining the design speed for each road class depending on the transport functions of the roads, their characteristics and terrain specifics.
The Minister said that from 2007 until the end of the current programming period, investments in the amount of nearly BGN 662.4 million have been made or will be made to improve road safety.
The inventory of the national road network showed that the pavement of 12 percent of the roads is in excellent condition, 27 percent is good, 23 percent is satisfactory, about 13 percent is unsatisfactory and 25 percent is bad, Avramova added.
The third-class road network is in the worst condition - data show that nearly 8,000 km need repair. According to preliminary data, the required investments are a little over BGN 930 million. It is also necessary to renovate 112 road facilities, for which, according to initial estimates, BGN 165 million are needed.
Petya Avramova confirmed that the goal of the Ministry is for the Hemus Highway to be ready by 2024.
The work on the construction of “Struma” continues. Public procurements were announced for the design and construction of the most expensive section of the highway - through the Kresna Gorge, with an indicative value of BGN 875.3 million without VAT. In 2019, a selection of contractors is forthcoming. Lot 3.3 of "Struma" was opened ahead of schedule on December 17. This is the section from Sandanski to Kresna with a length of nearly 24 km. LOT 3.1 - from Blagoevgrad to Krupnik - is under construction, where the implementation is 40 percent.
“What we need is good organisation, efficiency and quality, so that the highway is completed on time - by 2023, and there is no loss of European funding,” she said.
Regarding the project for the Vidin-Botevgrad expressway, Minister Avramova said that in the beginning of 2019 the public procurements for the sections of the route between Vidin and Ruzhintsi will be announced. They have a total length of 55 km and an indicative value of BGN 458 million. In 2018, public procurements were announced for the selection of a contractor for two subdivisions along the route between Mezdra and Botevgrad, which have a total length of 33 km and are worth BGN 302 million, the Minister reminded.
She announced that for the first time a pilot payment scheme will be implemented, which envisages the full value of the contract to be paid to the contractor after a use permit has been issued. We believe that this will make future contractors work with quality and on time, said Minister Avramova.
The Minister informed that very soon the experts from the World Bank are expected to propose tariff options and scope of the toll system, which will be subject to public discussion. We will also have to go through a procedure for approval by the EC.
Investments of BGN 1.2 billion for the modernisation of the water supply and sewerage sector are to start in 2019, Minister Avramova reminded. The deadline for submitting projects by water and sewerage operators is April 23, 2019, but the first application forms are expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Water much earlier - in February.
Regarding the National Programme for Energy Efficiency of Multifamily Residential Buildings, Minister Avramova announced that the programme is to be completed in this form in 2019, but various options for its continuation are under discussion.
