The Sofia Municipality is progressing on all activities within its powers to ensure access and urban infrastructure around the future National Children's Hospital. The expropriation of 21 properties along the adjacent street network has begun, with procedures already completed for 14 of them and compensation paid. In parallel, work is being done on three detailed development plans - for the street next to the hospital, a large parking lot with an underground connection to it and the electrical substation. Preliminary studies are also being carried out for the connecting infrastructure and its connection to the Sofia Ring Road.
The National Children's Hospital is a project that Bulgarian society has been waiting for for years. Its implementation requires parallel work by the state and the Sofia Municipality - in addition to the construction of the hospital itself, transport access, parking, power supply and the necessary engineering infrastructure must be ensured.
Even under the previous regular government, the Sofia Municipality managed to reach an agreement with the state for the implementation of the National Children's Hospital and the necessary infrastructure for it. In fulfillment of the commitments made, the municipality is currently working simultaneously on spatial planning, expropriations and preparation of the connecting infrastructure.
Three spatial plans for streets, parking and power supply
Direction “Urban Planning and Development“ is working on three detailed development plans directly related to the access and functioning of the future hospital, announced the chief engineer of the department, Eng. Delyana Sechenska.
The first provides for the extension of the existing dead-end street from the Ring Road to the hospital grounds, which will provide the necessary access to the medical facility.
The second is for the creation of a large parking lot opposite the hospital, at “Harmanliysko Vastanie“ Street, with an underground connection to it. The goal is to provide additional spaces for the cars of patients and visitors.
The third procedure is for the electrical substation, necessary for the future hospital. The development project is already ready, the necessary assessments have been prepared and work is underway to settle the ownership with a view to completing the procedure with the approval of the PUP.
The next step is the development and processing of the two plans for the street and the parking lot.
21 properties for transport access - 14 procedures have already been completed
The Sofia Municipality has taken expropriation actions for 21 land properties and one building, falling within the routes of the adjacent street network - in sections of “Harmanliysko Vastanie“ Street and the future “Zapadna Tangenta“.
The procedures for 14 of the land properties have already been completed, and the equivalent monetary compensation has been paid. For the remaining seven, a project for amending the cadastral map has been prepared, which has been processed by the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, and draft designs have been issued. The determination of compensation has been assigned, after which the public announcement and the issuance of expropriation orders are pending.
The connecting infrastructure is being prepared
In parallel with the development and expropriation procedures, the Sofia Municipality, through the OP “Sofia-project“, is carrying out preliminary studies on the connections of the connecting street network with the Sofia Ring Road and with the existing engineering infrastructure.
A geodetic survey of the accessible and non-private properties has been carried out. Initial data has already been requested and collected from the operating companies and the territorial provision of the future street and engineering infrastructure is being analyzed.
Access to the Children's Hospital is connected to the Western Arc of the Ring Road
Access to the National Children's Hospital is technically connected to the final decisions on the project for the Western Arc of the Sofia Ring Road. Its construction is of strategic importance both for the connectivity of Sofia and for ensuring quick access to the future hospital.
„The Municipality supports the efforts of the MRDPW to complete the missing sections of the Ring Road and will continue to actively fulfill its commitments. The ring road is important not only because it will shorten travel time and reduce harmful emissions, but also because it will provide fast routes to the National Children's Hospital,“ said Deputy Mayor for Public Works Nikola Lyutov.
The construction of the Western Arch is expected to save an average of up to 30 minutes of travel time in one direction. The data is based on the average waiting time during peak hours at existing intersections in the section, which is used by over 30,000 vehicles per day.
The National Children's Hospital is a common cause and a common responsibility. The Sofia Municipality is simultaneously advancing the spatial planning, expropriations and preparation of the connecting infrastructure, so that decisions that depend on the city do not cause delays to the project.