After the entire year 2024 was missed and the construction in this section was frozen, we are already seeing results from the work resumed in March this year. This was said by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov during an inspection of the construction activities on the railway line between Kostenets and Septemvri.
„We made a symbolic demolition of the last centimeters of the stone wall that separated the two parts of the tunnel. It has a total length of nearly 2.5 km, and was dug simultaneously from both sides. These two and a half kilometers under the mountain are not just an engineering facility, but a symbol of Bulgaria's will and ability to build a modern infrastructure“, explained Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov.
According to him, the 25-kilometer section is of exceptional importance for the Bulgarian transport scheme, because it is an element of the modernization of the railway route from Sofia to Burgas. This is one of the most complex and difficult to implement sections along the entire strategic direction from Sofia to Plovdiv. It includes 23 bridges and viaducts with a total length of 2.3 km and over 4.5 km of tunnels.
“There is good mobilization in the other two tunnels of this lot, the railway station in Belovo is almost completed, and the one in Kostenets is 70% completed, the telecommunications and the contact network in places are 85% completed“, explained Karadjov. “This gives me confidence that despite the delays, the railway line will be built for speeds of 160 km/h by 2029“, he added.
The inspection was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bulgaria H.E. Mehmet Sait Uyanık, as well as representatives of the National Company “Railway Infrastructure“ and the contractor companies.