Over BGN 3 billion or nearly 84% of the financial resource under Operational Program "Transport and Transport Infrastructure" 2014-2020 is negotiated. This was stated by the head of the OPT Managing Authority Eng. Galina Vassileva at the meeting of the Program Monitoring Committee, which is taking place in the period 11-12 June in Rousse. She added that 33% of the program's budget was paid off.
Vasileva noted that the program is at a decisive stage in which a realistic assessment of the deadlines for completion and completion of the major projects is needed. "This year's challenge poses a more dynamic and accelerated implementation of projects to ensure their maximum effectiveness," she said.
For the current programming period, the completion of a 24 km new motorway section from Struma Motorway between Kresna and Sandanski, as well as the rehabilitation of a 28 km railway track in the Straldzha-Tserkovski and Skutare-Belozem sections along the of the railway line "Plovdiv - Bourgas". There is also a metro landfill "Zemlyane", which will serve as a priority the new metro line in Sofia. Four road overpasses for two-level crossing on the Septemvri-Plovdiv railway line have been put into operation, which minimizes the risk of accidents in the crossing of rail and road transport.
The delay in the projects Elin Pelin-Kostenets and Lot 3.2 of Struma Motorway puts at risk the realization of the objectives and the utilization of the budget of priority axes 1 and 2 of the program. In this regard, measures are being taken to prepare a conservative assessment of what can be done in the current programming period and decide on the future implementation of the projects concerned. Delays are also reported in the implementation of innovation projects under Priority Axis 4, which adversely affects the program. "The situation requires a major change of the operational program, reprogramming of the respective priority axes, as well as redirection of the implementation reserve to priorities of the operational program that have a better implementation of the intermediate objectives", commented Vasileva. Possible measures that are discussed by all stakeholders in the process of work are the inclusion of alternative projects within the scope of priority axes for road and railway infrastructure.
During the meeting, it became clear that a version of the future "Transport Connectivity" Program 2021-2027 is already being developed. "The projects to be covered by the new program will be determined on the basis of thorough overall analysis and evaluation their readiness and their contribution to the development of the country's transport infrastructure, in line with the European guidelines ", added the head of the OPTA Managing Authority. Prioritization will also need to take into account the need to complete investments during the current programming period, as part of them will not be completed by the end of 2023. Technical assistance from the JASPERS initiative is foreseen in connection with the implementation of the so- . unlocking conditions, which is a prerequisite for financing investments during the next programming period.
