The three new stations of the extension of the third metro line in the “Poduyane” area are expected to be put into operation by the end of summer. This was announced by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, who inspected the new section by train, bTV reports.
The construction activities on the new section of the extension of the third metro line in the “Poduyane” area have been completed and tests by train are currently being carried out, the mayor added.
The section is three kilometers long and includes three metro stations – “Georgi Asparuhov Stadium“, “Vitinya“ and “Gen. Vladimir Vazov“. About 45,000 people are expected to use the extension of metro line 3.
The mayor noted that this particular section was among the most complex to implement due to a number of engineering challenges, including problems with groundwater and flooding, which had to be eliminated during construction.
“When you see such a modern and beautiful project, you don't realize how many engineering challenges were solved,“ said Terziev. He also pointed out the difficulties in securing financing, as the construction of the metro is extremely expensive.
According to him, the metro is the backbone of transport in the capital and its expansion should be a top priority for every city administration.
Terziev also said that in addition to the three new stations in “Poduyane“, active work is also being done on the remaining six metro stations in the “Geo Milev“ and “Mladost“ directions, on the intermodal hub in “Obelya“, on the two new stations in the “Lyulin“ on Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd., as well as the extension to Studentski Grad with five new metro stations.
Work is also underway on a conceptual design for the extension of the metro to an intermodal hub in the Ring Mall area, he added.
The metro is not cheap transport, but it is the fastest, the highest quality and the one that can offer a really good service“, the mayor also said. According to him, along with improvements in ground public transport, the renewal of rolling stock and new route lines, the goal is for more Sofia residents to choose public transport instead of private cars.
Terziev thanked everyone who worked on the project, including the previous administrations, emphasizing that the extension of the metro is a strategic priority for the city and must be implemented with high responsibility by each subsequent administration of the capital.