Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Over 3 200 billion levs invested in the construction of transport infrastructure, stated the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski, during today's opening ceremony of Lot 1 of "Maritza" highway.

Minister Moskovski thanked everyone who participated in the realization the road infrastructure project and said that in the coming weeks the railway sections along the section will probably obtain the necessary construction permits.

I hope that in the next programming period we will have the opportunity to develop proper transport infrastructure in Northern Bulgaria, he added.

With the opening of Lot 1 of "Maritza" highway Bulgaria now has a third highway completed with European funds following "Trakia" and "Lyulin" highways.

We recall that last year two of the road projects under the Operational Program "Transport 2007-2013" were identified as risk projects. The physical implementation of Lot 1 of "Maritza" highway was 56%, and Lot 4 of "Struma" highway - 42%. All necessary efforts were engaged and in the last month Lot 2 and Lot 4 of "Struma" highway were commissioned and today the whole of "Maritsa" highway is opened.

The ceremony was attended by President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Lilyana Pavlova, MPs, representatives of local authorities and others.

Lot 1 of "Maritza" highways from Orizovo to Dimitrovgrad has a length of 31.4 kilometers, as the value of the contract is about 160 million levs VAT included. Along the route there are 4 bridges and 6 overpasses and 8 agricultural underpasses have been constructed in order not to impede the passage of agricultural machinery. To preserve the bio and eco-diversity in the region dry passageways for various wildlife species have been built.

The project "Construction of "Maritza" Lot 1 and Lot 2" is co-financed by the Cohesion Fund of the European Union and the national budget under OP "Transport" 2007-2013. "Maritza" highway Lot 1 and Lot 2 has a total length 65.62 km. Its completion provides a motorway connection between Sofia and the Turkish border along corridors IV and X of the trans-European transport network. "Maritza" highway is to ease the traffic towards the Turkish border and it will take less than an hour to cover the distance from the "Trakia" highway to the border at "Kapitan Andreevo".