The Mezdra - Botevgrad road will be completed within a year. I have held several meetings with the construction company, we have a schedule, we have eliminated the problematic procedures and I believe that the work will be completed within this period. This was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Arch. Ivan Shishkov, who inspected the construction activities in the section. He emphasized that the state, as the contracting authority, is also to blame for the fact that the expressway has been under construction for 7 years now. “There has been no work on the road in recent years - projects, detailed development plans were being revised. The state's reaction after the landslide was activated was also slow. A faster and more adequate reaction was needed“, commented Arch. Shishkov. According to him, the builder is probably also to blame, but the main one is the client, because he has to chase deadlines and create conditions for work. “In unforeseen situations, delayed management and technical decisions - and here we have a symbiosis of both - this happens”, he emphasized. And he reminded that as a minister in office 4 years ago he had to urgently approve changes to the detailed development plan so that the road junctions would not be at the same level.
He was categorical that the situation has already changed and work is being actively carried out. “There is more serious activity on the site, because when we set clear deadlines and it is known that the state will fulfill its commitments, the builders are calm and return to the site”, commented the regional minister. And he emphasized that despite the repairs, the section will no longer be closed to traffic. He informed that the landslide will be strengthened by building a half-tunnel. The situation is similar to the landslide on the Struma Motorway in the Zheleznitsa region, where a similar facility was also built. "It is a fact and the Struma Motorway was put into operation. Then we stepped up, made the project extremely quickly and solved the problem," the minister reminded.
Arch. Shishkov also commented that the longer a construction project lasts, the more expensive it becomes. At this stage, it is not clear how much the construction of the section will become more expensive. However, the more important thing in this case is that the work is completed faster, because the people in this region suffered. The funds will be provided from the state budget, since the road is a priority object. "The construction of the infrastructure in Northern Bulgaria is a priority for the government and activation on a number of projects is yet to come," commented Arch. Shishkov. In this regard, he announced that the construction of the road junction near Botevgrad has also been completed. The inspection of the acceptance committee was passed on Friday, and the permit for use is expected at any moment. Negotiations to continue the construction of the "Hemus" motorway are already in the final stages and the builders are returning to the site. The DNSK is already carrying out inspections, which will be monthly, for the quality of the construction and the protocols for hidden works, to ensure that the work is going well and on time. The road from Vratsa to Vidin is also being repaired, which was completed literally in a month, although people did not believe it. The Kresna bypass is also being actively built. Development plans are being processed and properties are being expropriated for the remaining part of the missing "Struma" motorway. Next year, repairs will also begin on the road from Vratsa to the Kozloduy NPP.
“It is extremely important for me, amidst so many problems in the country, to be among the people, to be in the municipalities, to be at the construction sites, to see them on the spot. The state is already functioning in a normal way. I think we will find an approach together, so that we can bring back the builders, to bring back peace in the construction sector. They, in turn, must show that they are professionals, because up until now their relations with the state were coming to light and we were all talking about other problems in the construction sector and I think that very soon you will all understand“, he also commented.