Within 3 years, we should be at the final stage of completing the Sofia Ring Road. This was stated in the program “This Morning“ on bTV by Ivan Shishkov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.
“It is planned to review and most likely approve the last stage of the detailed development plan“, Shishkov pointed out.
The minister stated that he could not agree that due to the political crisis over the past 5 years, nothing had happened in relation to the Sofia Ring Road. “In 2023, the caretaker government approved a section of 6 kilometers. We found it in exactly the same situation“.
“Today we are completing the procedure, we will approve the last 2.5 kilometers and we will give the green light so that the technical projects can be made and the construction of the last section of the Sofia Ring Road can begin. A project can never be completed if the design for it is not done“, he pointed out.
In his words, it is not just about the Ring Road. “Today we will also talk about the roads. The worst thing is not only that there is no infrastructure, but that there are no projects. We will complete the procedure for the detailed development plan in maybe about 3 months“.
“We will finalize the expropriation of the first section - these 6 kilometers, which are shortly after the transition from “Tsar Boris III“ to the Ring Road. We are working extremely actively. A public procurement for engineering will be made to carry out the construction of this section to the Ring Road“, said Shishkov.
According to him, within the next 3 years, the Ring Road should be at the final stage of completion. “The design will probably take about a year. And the actual construction will take about two years“.
“The section is difficult, even though it is only 8 kilometers, because we are entering an urban environment, including a commitment to replace the entire infrastructure“, he pointed out.
“The only way to build those 1,200 kilometers of highways that are missing is to first design those 800 kilometers that have not been designed at all, to complete the design of those 400 kilometers that are in the initial phase, and to build those 400 kilometers along the “Hemus“ highway and the highway to Vidin“, said the minister.
He explained that the trucks have become enemies because they have nowhere to move. “And now we have to change things“.
“The highways will be completed with money from the republican budget“, added Shishkov.