The infrastructure throughout Northern Bulgaria is in a state of “code red“. This was stated by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov in an interview with BNT. According to him, repairs were awarded for a large part of the country's road infrastructure without secured financial resources.
“Awardings without secured financial resources for a large part of the road infrastructure in Bulgaria - this is the whole truth. And, on top of all that, where the award should have been made first and the problem with the bypass road should have been solved, nothing has been done. That's why the code is red“, said Shishkov.
Promise for the road Hrabrovo-Provadia
As an example, the minister pointed to the road between Hrabrovo and Provadia, because of which residents of the region protested. They insist that the repair of the republican route be completed due to its poor condition and the difficult journey to Provadia.
Shishkov said that the funds for the repair have been partially secured, and the builder has undertaken to complete the site by the end of the year or the beginning of the next. “The builder has undertaken to complete them and we will pay them when we have the opportunity“, said the regional minister.
Residents of Hrabrovo and neighboring villages earlier told BNT that the repair had begun, but the work was progressing slowly, with long interruptions and little equipment. According to them, the condition of the road creates conditions for road accidents and leads to damage to vehicles.
Repairs near the „Topli Dol“ tunnel
The other major infrastructure problem is related to the alternative routes at the „Topli Dol“ tunnel on the „Hemus“ highway, which is closed for repairs. Shishkov explained that the old road has been closed for about a year due to a retaining wall that is at risk of falling.
Correspondence has been ongoing since 2024 and tenders are being prepared for the restoration of the wall. The repairs are expected to begin at the beginning of next year and last about a year.
In the meantime, the minister has requested that the tunnel repairs be accelerated and that work be done in two shifts. He said that he had raised the issue of reopening the tunnel during the Christmas and New Year holidays, when traffic usually increases.
„If we had waited this one year, instead of traffic jams, we would have had ambulances in the tunnel. So there was no way we could have waited any longer“, said Shishkov.
Doubts about RIA and „Hemus“
In the conversation, the regional minister also commented on the work of the „Road Infrastructure“ Agency. „At this point, RIA is not a black market, but we all have doubts whether it was a black market“, he said.
Shishkov said that he expects a real investigation into what happened over the years around the „Hemus“ motorway and the advances given out. He indicated that in his opinion, the actions of managers and employees of RIA, former employees of “Automagistrali“ and former politicians should be clarified in this case.