The Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) has accumulated more than €700 million in liabilities from 2024 and 2025, while the budget for the current year was almost exhausted by its midpoint. This was announced by Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov following a meeting with mayors and representatives of local authorities in Pazardzhik.
According to him, the accumulated financial problems have seriously limited the opportunities to commission new repairs and maintenance activities in 2026. "We had almost no financial resources with which to commission new road maintenance work," Shishkov explained. He pointed out that problems with the spending of funds in previous years had also been identified in audits by the National Audit Office.
The regional minister admitted that the funds earmarked for road infrastructure in the 2027 budget would also not be enough for all the necessary repairs. Nevertheless, he expects the condition of the national road network to improve significantly by the end of next year.
Shishkov also commented on the delay in repairing the mountain pass, for which the state had to conclude agreements with two municipalities before construction work could begin. He clarified that the road is not part of the national road network and that the necessary permits were obtained only at the beginning of November. According to him, the repair work is now actively under way, and the announced 20-day deadline should be counted from the actual start of the work.
Traffic along the old route near the Topli Dol Tunnel cannot be restored because of a dangerous retaining wall. The procedure for reinforcing it began as early as 2024, but no repair work was carried out. According to the minister, in the summer of 2025 the tunnel contractor left the site, and work was not resumed in the autumn. The reinforcement of the wall is expected to begin at the start of 2027 and continue for about a year and a half.
For the problematic road to Yakoruda, the deadlines for restoring traffic will become clear after the necessary technical design has been prepared. Responding to carriers’ dissatisfaction, the minister stressed that safety could not be sacrificed for speed. "There can be no compromise on quality or on ensuring that a construction project or site is safe," he said.
Major repairs to road III-801 in Pazardzhik Region are planned for 2027. Until then, emergency work will be carried out on the most severely damaged sections to ensure safe traffic during the winter. The RIA is also aware of the problems along the road between Strelcha and Koprivshtitsa.
Water supply in Pazardzhik Region was also among the main topics of the meeting. Shishkov criticized the planning of the Luda Yana Reservoir, since its construction did not include all the infrastructure needed to deliver water to populated areas. "Imagine ordering a design, building a reservoir and not designing the entire network that is supposed to connect the reservoir with the populated areas," the minister commented.
According to him, this is an example of ineffective planning of major state investments. The 2027 budget includes funding for preliminary studies to determine which populated areas can be supplied by the reservoir and what water pipelines need to be built. Some municipalities already have their own projects, which will be coordinated with the state plans.
Among the priorities of the Regional Ministry, Shishkov highlighted preparing projects for new motorways and attracting private investors to build them. "We will design the motorways that have not been designed so far and will seek public-private partnerships for a large part of them," he said.
Changes are also planned to the road control systems through better coordination between the RIA, the Traffic Police, the Interior Ministry and transport institutions. The aim is to increase the effectiveness of oversight and optimize the administration’s work.
Regarding the possible construction of a bypass around Pazardzhik, the minister said that the route, development plans and necessary expropriation procedures must first be clarified. It was also discussed whether commercial zones and frontage roads should be built around the future road.
Shishkov said he expected the state to pay all funds owed to municipalities under the Investment Program for Municipal Projects by the end of November. New agreements are also expected to be signed wherever legal conditions allow. Some mayors in the Pazardzhik area have already received the necessary contracts, while others are still waiting for funding.
The minister described the draft 2027 budget as balanced because it combines social payments with infrastructure investments. "When we give money to municipalities, we are not giving it to the mayors. We are giving it so that it reaches the people and improves their quality of life," he stressed.
During his visit to the region, Shishkov also held a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of a main water-supply pipeline in Peshtera. The project is worth more than €1.8 million and envisages replacing more than 2.5 km of deteriorated pipes. The facility was also damaged in the flooding in August 2026, which deepened the problems with the water supply.
Construction is expected to be completed within 90 days, and the water supply to the city will not be interrupted during that period. According to the minister, state funding for such projects allows water and sewerage infrastructure to be upgraded without repair costs leading to an increase in water prices.
Meetings with local authorities will continue as part of the "Regions Speak" initiative, through which priority infrastructure projects and opportunities for the economic development of individual regions are to be identified.
Source: business.dir.bg