Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

All projects in the new Operational Program "Transport and Transport Infrastructure" 2014 - 2020 are extremely complex to implement and require greater mobilization and better expertise of the beneficiaries, announced the Deputy Chair of the Managing Authority of the Program Mrs Galina Vassileva during the Fourth meeting of the Monitoring Committee of OPTTI 2014 – 2020. In the framework of the two-day meeting priority projects for 2020 and the progress of projects financed under OP "Transport" 2007-2013, which are still ongoing, were discussed.

Galina Vassileva said that a proposal for amending OP "Transport and Transport Infrastructure" 2014 - 2020 is to be sent to the European Commission. The proposed amendments provide for the completion of section 2 of Lot 1 of the Western section of Sofia Ring Road to be included in the scope of OPTTI 2014 – 2020. The project Kalotina-Sofia Highway - Lot 1 Western section of Sofia Ring Road was launched with funds from OPT 2007-2013, but due to time-consuming appeals during the procedure it will not be completed by the end of the year .

There is a proposal for the further extension of the scope of two major projects under OPTTI 2014 – 2020. Additional activities are included in the project for rehabilitation of the railway section Plovdiv - Bourgas that concern the design and installation of signaling and telecommunication systems at Bourgas railway junction. The section of the third metro line in Sofia funded under the program will be expanded. The initial version only envisaged the construction of Lot 1 of the third metro line, which includes the area from "Yanko Sakazov" Boulevard to Krasno Selo residential area. The amendments envisage the construction of Lot 2, which goes to Ovcha Kupel residential area and will link to the railway Sofia - Pernik. Despite the extension the financial value of the project remains unchanged.

In order to save funds from OPTTI 2014 - 2020, and minimize the losses under OPT 2007 - 2013, part of the financing for the last 1 km of the subway Line 2 "James Boucher" to "Vitosha" stations, which is in construction, is to be transferred to OPT 2007-2013, due to its early implementation, and the proposed amount to be used for the project under OPT 2007-2013, is 10 million Euros.

Hristo Alexiev, Deputy Director General of NRIC presented the priority projects in the rail sector for 2020. "The main priority for us is the full completion of the section Plovdiv – Bourgas, including the railway junctions Plovdiv and Burgas, as well as the rehabilitation of the line from Sofia to Septemvri", he said. Hristo Alexiev added that the main project, included in OP "Transport and Transport Infrastructure" 2014 -2020, is the rehabilitation of the line Elin Pelin - Septemvri. "By the end of 2015 the technical projects for the line are to be developed and in 2016 all expropriation procedures to be carried out", he commented. "By the end of the year the technical design for construction of intermodal terminal – Rouse will be prepared and the construction is expected to start by March 2016," he added.

Parallel to this, the projects under OP "Transport" 2007 - 2013 that are currently being implemented have also been reviewed. National Railway Infrastructure Company is working on the completion of three major infrastructure projects along the lines Septemvri-Plovdiv, Plovdiv-Bourgas and Parvomai-Svilengrad. According to Hristo Alexiev the progress on projects is respectively: Parvomai-Svilengrad 89%, Plovdiv-Bourgas 95% and Septemvri- Plovdiv 69%. He reported that the rehabilitation of the railway station in Sofia is 85% completed and is expected to be finalized before mid-2016. Bourgas railway station is to obtain the necessary construction documents by the end of 2015 and will be commissioned in early 2016.

Engineer Doncho Atanassov, member of the Board of Directors of the Road Infrastructure Agency presented the projects in the road sector. He pointed out that Section 1 of Lot 1 of the Western section of Sofia Ring Road has already been issued the necessary construction documents and is expected to be commissioned in a few days. In terms of Section 2 Mr. Atanassov added that if the Commission approves the transfer to OPTTI 2014-2020, it is to be completed by next year. Another project that will be commissioned by the end of this year is the bypass at the town of Montana.

The Executive Director of National Company "Strategic Infrastructure Projects" Assen Antonov reported on the preparation of the project for the construction of Lot 3 of "Struma" motorway. He pointed out that the first contract for design and construction of Lot 3.3 Kresna - Sandanski is already signed and there is an ongoing procedure for Lot 3.1 from Blagoevgrad to Krupnik. The tender procedure for Zheleznitsa tunnel is expected to start by the end of the year. Assen Antonov added that due to the specificity of construction of the tunnel, it was decided that a separate contract to be awarded. Regarding the most difficult section from Krupnik to Kresna, the deadline for the project expired yesterday and at the beginning of 2016 the EIA procedure shall be completed. After the EIA decision entering into force a tender will be announced for this section.

The meetings were attended by representatives of local and executive authorities, beneficiaries, NGOs, trade unions, experts from the European Commission, from the European Investment Bank and others.