Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Minister of transport, information technology and communications Aleksandar Tsvetkov attended the official start of the tunnel boring machine as part of the Sofia Metro Extension Project.

The mechanized tunnel boring machine (TBM) is of the Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) type specifically made for softer soil with high water levels as are the predominant conditions in Sofia. The machine was constructed in Germany at a cost of 15 million euros. It was manufactured specially for the Sofia Metro Extension Project financed by the European Regional Development Fund through Operational Programme “Transport” for the period 2007-2013. The second Sofia Metro line should be ready in the autumn of 2012. The executor of the section is the Turkish company “Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret.”

The prognosis is that the completion of the project will lead to 38% of the commuters currently using urban transport to choose the metro. This will lead to reduction of traffic by 25%.  Direct and indirect economic effect of more than 55 million euros per year is expected.

Present during the event were Prime-Minister Boyko Borisov, Minister for EU Funds Absorption Tomislav Donchev, Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev, Deputy Minister of Transport, information technology and communications Ivaylo Moskovski, the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova, the Executive Director of Metropolitan EAD Stoyan Bratoev, the Chairman of the Managing committee of “Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret”, the Chairman of the Managing committee of Herrenknecht Martin Herrenknecht and others.

For additional information:
Milan Martinov, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport, Information Technology
and Communications
Phone: + 359 2 940 96 25
E-Mail: mmartinov@mtitc.government.bg