The section between the border checkpoint “Kalotina” and Dragoman on Europe Motorway is expected to be put into operation in about 2 months

Expropriation of land for the last section of the autobahn - from Slivnitsa to the Northern Expressway of Sofia begins

“In about 2 months, the section between the Kalotina border crossing and Dragoman on the Europe Motorway could be put into operation.” This was announced by Minister of Regional Development and Public Works architect Ivan Shishkov at a briefing after today’s government meeting. “This is part of the effort of the previous caretaker cabinet. There has been serious progress in implementation. The deadlines have been extended once. We hope the builder will be sufficiently correct,” he said.

The minister reminded that the route of the infrastructure object between Slivnitsa and Dragoman has already been built. “With the decision of the Council of Ministers, from today we start the procedure of expropriation of the last section of the motorway - from Slivnitsa to the Northern Expressway of Sofia,” he said.

“We work consistently throughout the process. At the end of last year, I approved a detailed development plan for this section. The next action is to start the expropriation procedure so that we can build the last section of the autobahn,” the minister explained. He added that today Bulgaria is taking another step towards Europe with the unfinished Europe Motorway so that it can be built as quickly as possible.

“I hope that in a few months we will be able to say that construction of the last section will start so that Bulgaria’s gateway to Europe will be truly European”, the minister said. And he stressed that in order to build a project legally, there must first be detailed spatial plans, design and construction permits.

“The deadline for completion of the motorway was the end of 2023. Unfortunately, during the seven months of the last regular cabinet, the procedure for approving the detailed development plan for the last stretch of it did not move forward. These seven months cannot be undone,” Minister Shishkov explained. “It is crucial that we start construction and complete 50% of it so that we do not lose the European funding. That is why we are working intensively to save the money that the state could lose,” said the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.