Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The implementation of OP "Transport" 2007-2013 completes with a 97 % absorption, announced Eng. Galina Vassileva, Deputy Head of the Managing Authority of OP "Transport" 2007-2013 and OP "Transport and transport infrastructure" 2014-2020 during the monitoring committee of the two Programmes. She pointed out that OPT 2007-2013 has financed 118 projects, 11 of which are major infrastructure projects totaling over 1 billion 911 mln. euros. Currently, uncompleted projects are the rehabilitation of the railway sections Parvomay-Svilengrad, Septemvri- Plovdiv, Plovdiv-Bourgas, as well as the construction of the Intermodal terminal-Plovdiv. Gabrovo Bypass  is another project that is not completed within the acceptable deadline.

Eng. Vassileva said that at the moment under OPTTI 2014-2020 were submitted for approval 18 projects, 7 of which were approved. The remaining 11 are under consideration. "Contracts, signed until this moment, amount to 535 mln. euros, including the contracts for the construction of Lot 3.1 and Lot 3.3 of the Struma motorway and the project for the construction of the third metro line", said Galina Vassileva. There has been approved another project for the extension of the second metro line that includes a 1.3 km line, 1 metro station and the signing of the contract for financing is forthcoming. Galina Vassileva said that given the complexity of the projects to be implemented under the programme and for the purpose of their completion before 2020, all projects have to be submitted for approval before the end of this year. Otherwise, there is a risk for them to exceed the period of eligibility of expenditure. She added that the projects that are submitted by National Company "Strategic Infrastructure Projects" but there are no contracts for financing at the time of entry into force of the amendments to the Roads Act, have been withdrawn.

Hristo Alexiev, Chairman of the Board of SE "National Railway Infrastructure Company", presented the progress of the projects in the railway sector. Two are the major infrastructure projects that will be financed under the programme, as well as several smaller ones. Currently, is under preparation a project for the modernization of the railway line Elin Pelin - Kostenetz and by the end of May is expected to be submitted for approval by the Managing Authority. Its value is 904 million levs and the expectations are that until August will be announced a procedure for construction. Another major project is the second phase of the rehabilitation of the railway line Plovdiv – Bourgas with a value of 629 million levs. There is an ongoing procedure for the selection of a contractor for the sections Straldzha - Tserkovski and Orizovo - Karnobat. By October is envisaged to be signed the construction contract.

The design of the intermodal terminal in Rousse was completed during the last programming period and its construction amounting to 43 mln. levs will be financed under OPTTI.

In the road sector under OPTTI 2014-2020 will be financed Lot 3 of Struma Motorway and Phase 2 of the Western arc of Sofia. Lot 3.1 and Lot 3.3 of Struma Motorway and the Western arc are under implementation. According to Eng. Lazar Lazarov, Chairman of the Board of the "Road Infrastructure" Agency it is still been looking for the optimal option for passing through the Kresna Gorge. He added that up to the moment have been explored more than 10 options for this section. Currently, are being explored options for physically separating the two lanes.

The executive director of "Metropolitan" EAD Eng. Stoyan Bratoev presented the project for the construction of the Sofia metro. "Since January began the construction of the third metro line in Sofia and in July we expect the completion of the second beam of the new metro station"Vitosha", said Bratoev. "The third beam is the most complex to implement up to now, because we start from scratch - no constructed depot or systems, and the route passes through a very difficult terrain, which further complicates the project", he added. Eng. Bratoev concluded that the short-term forecast by 2020 is for 56 km metro, 53 stations and 50 % share of the Metro in public transport.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the managing authority, beneficiaries and local executive authorities, NGOs, trade unions, experts from the European Commission and others.