On May 27, construction of another 40.14 km of the Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo motorway begins, in the section from Ruse to Byala. The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony of the site is expected to be attended by Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Arch. Ivan Shishkov, the Chairman of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency, Eng. Todor Anastasov, the Mayor of Ruse Pencho Milkov, Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Vladimirov – regional governor of Ruse, members of parliament and mayors from the region.
The project route of the motorway is 132.84 km in total and is divided into three sections: Ruse - Byala /40.14 km/, bypass of the city of Byala /35.4 km/, the construction of which began in 2023, and Byala - Veliko Tarnovo /57.2 km/.
The section in which construction has now started covers the route from km 0+500 to km 40+640. It will pass through the lands of the municipalities of Borovo, Ivanovo, Dve Mogili and Ruse. A technical project has been completed for the site, expropriations have been completed and a construction permit has been issued.
A public procurement procedure was announced last year for the third section from Byala to Veliko Tarnovo for the selection of a design and construction contractor. The tender procedure for selecting the construction supervisor is also about to be opened.
The contractor for the design and construction and assembly works of the Ruse - Byala section, on which the first sod will be laid, is DZZD “HEMUS-16320“. The following companies participate in it: “Infra Expert“ AD, “Avtomagistrali - Cherno more“ AD, “Patinzheneringstroy-T“ EAD and “Transconsult-22“ EOOD. The value of the contract is 448,160,167.62 euros excluding VAT.
The construction supervision has been assigned to DZZD “LIDER CONSULT“, which includes: “Traffic Holding“ EOOD, “Strol – 1000“ AD, “EN AR Consult“ EOOD and “D N D“ EOOD. The value of the contract is 6,513,493.63 euros excluding VAT.
The project for the construction of the “Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo” motorway is co-financed under the “Transport Connectivity“ 2021-2027 program, priority axis 2 “Development of road infrastructure along the “core“ Trans-European Transport Network and road connections“. The grant for the motorway is 524,241,794.11 euros. The site has been designated as an operation of strategic importance and its implementation has an important place for international connectivity.
The "Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo" motorway will start from Ruse at the planned third bridge over the Danube River and will reach the town of Debelets, where traffic will be divided in the direction of the Shipka Pass and the Republic Pass. The gauge of the motorway route is G27 - with two active and one emergency lane for traffic in the direction, a median strip and shoulders. The necessary road junctions and connections are provided so that people from individual settlements can have quick and convenient access to the route. 11 viaducts will be built along the first two sections of the "Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo" motorway, 7 of which are on the Ruse - Byala section. The connection of the republican and part of the municipal roads will be carried out through 10 road junctions. 6 of them are on the Ruse - Byala section, and the remaining 4 are on the Byala bypass road. Access to agricultural lands will be provided through 8 agricultural intersections, 4 of them are on the Ruse - Byala section. Recreation areas are planned, located on both sides of the route.
Currently, the Ruse - Byala road is one of the busiest and with a high concentration of serious road accidents. With the new route, the number of accidents along the route will decrease, as the traffic will be divided into two separate lanes, and transit traffic will be diverted from populated areas. The construction of the "Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo" motorway will provide a connection between the countries in Northeastern Europe through Romania and Bulgaria with Greece and Turkey, as well as between the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Its construction will improve the transport service of international and domestic traffic, increase traffic safety and divert transit traffic outside populated areas. The "Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo" motorway will be the main link connecting the bridge over the Danube River near Ruse with the city of Veliko Tarnovo, with the I-4 "Koritna - Sevlievo - Veliko Tarnovo - Belokopitovo" road, with the I-3 "Gara Byala - Pleven - Koritna - Botevgrad" road and the future section of the "Hemus" motorway near Veliko Tarnovo.