Pathways of change and changes in road

Proverbial home is the state of infrastructure. Once we became witnesses of curious events – such as rotting in huge craters in the road cars. One of the most attractive cases, just as ordered and sober policy, was close to the Council of Ministers, the yellow paving units. And the foreigners who come among us, still, soft speaking, terrified of the Bulgarian roads.

Moreover holes and were unable to build a comprehensive highway despite vignette introduced fees and taxes on cars and access to European funds. Taxpayer pays for their old municipal roads, for his broken car for izkarpvaneto road, after which time new craters opened for falling stones on the road because of landslides, the protracted years spectacular and important infrastructure projects in terms of integration Bulgarian road infrastructure in Europe. On the occasion of the notorious Pan-European transport corridors with his eyes I saw at least a curio: constructed several years ago with the customs station at the center of Gueshevo (from the railway line corridor № 8) … there are no tracks.

It is in the transport sector has turned the biggest corruption schemes, for which the European Commission blocked our over one billion euros in the 1st OP „Transport“ and Spain and finally lost 220 million euros under PHARE after the disclosure that former chief of National Agency „Road infrastructure „(drunk) Vesselin Georgiev is“ security „companies of their brethren with projects fat amounts. However, OP „Transport“ go and ISPA money intended for construction of highway „Lyulin“ were also released. Were thawed and resources on „Regional Development“ which is a chance for municipalities to rehabilitate the road from the ground network.

To Europeanize the Bulgarian transport infrastructure is urgently needed to be rehabilitated primary roads already built, to accelerate work on the construction of highways, to modernize the railway lines, ports and airports to reach home with the European road network, to build Metro in Sofia and the Stara Planina mountain in tunnels to improve links between Northern and Southern Bulgaria. As a separate issue may be in the state of infrastructure in Sofia, but that is about to become of national importance because the concentration of population in the capital. Main sources of funding are state budget and European funds – OP „Transport“ and the OP „Regional Development“, because you need to stop corrupt practices and conflicts of interest and to improve procedures for the selection of priority projects for investors.

Given that in times of crisis the investment projects are preferred because of the opening of new jobs and return on investment right now is the time the new government to activate and implement without delay more priority projects. Even in the budget prepared and partly implemented by this government, almost double the growth in capital expenditure is expected this trend to be maintained. Although not exactly see where the money goes.

Trakia highway

In 1964 the Bulgarian government decided to build avtomagistralen ring, which includes highway Trakia, Hemus and Cherno More. Implementation started with the construction of road sections Sofia – Ihtiman and Devnya – Varna. The project for Trakia highway provides for the establishment of a rapid ramp, which starts from Kalotina passes through the northern arc of the ring road of Sofia, rice, Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Yambol, Karnobat and Bourgas reached. The total length of the autobahn is 443 kilometers.

Highway is a part of an international transport corridor № 8 (divisions in Sofia – Orizovo and rice – Burgas west with a total length of 190 kilometers), which Bulgarian territory connects the Black Sea ports with our western border in Gueshevo.

Construction of the motorway began in 1975 Ten years later in the section shall ekploatatsiya Sofia – Plovdiv. At the beginning of 2006 have already built 187 kilometers of section Sofia – Orizovo and the ring road of Sofia.

In July 2000 the Government signed a contract with the EIB financing of 100 million to build sections Orizovo – Stara Zagora and Karnobat – Burgas. Bulgarian side is co-financing in the amount of 140 million. International tenders for perpetrators of the works were won by the Bulgarian company „Runway BG“ (Orizovo – Stara Zagora) and the Turkish company Doush Holding – an association of two Turkish companies – and DOUSH ECO (Karnobat – Burgas). In 2003 started the construction of new sections of highway. Three years later, in 2006, entering service divisions Orizovo – CHirpan (17 kilometers from LOT-1) and Karnobat – Burgas road junction – west in Vetren (35 kilometers from LOT-5).

On 30.12.2004 the Government of Simeon Sakskoburggotski announced its intention to give a concession for a period of 35 years Trakya. For the concessionaire is given the Bulgarian-Portuguese consortium „Trakia Motorway JSC, a concession was granted without tender or competition. Scandal grows after reveals that participation in the concessionaire, one of the sons of the king. The opposition is trying to push through parliament a recommendation to the government not to sign the contract. A temporary parliamentary commission of inquiry to verify the appropriateness of the decision to concession of autobahn. During the debates in Parliament EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn EU stresses that carried out the procedure for selection of concessionaire does not meet the requirements of the EU. The deal was mentioned in the same negative term in the monitoring report the European Commission to Bulgaria. After the parliamentary elections held in June 2005 and the formation of a coalition government „Stanishev“ with the BSP, NMSS and MRF, the parameters of the transaction for the concession of Trakia highway are analyzed again. The new Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Assen Gagauzov (BSP) said that the main mistake of the previous government is the lack of a transparent procedure for selecting the concessionaire. The contract provided for an independent audit of the consulting company Praysuotarhaus Coopers, which recommends that the deal is not bad, but to renegotiate more favorable terms. State asks for the Bulgarian-Portuguese consortium „Trakia Motorway JSC to sign the annex to the contract, which would fall economically unjustified and unacceptable legal clauses. On 22.05.2008 on the Bulgarian government is forced to terminate the contract on the grounds that the concessionaire has not fulfilled its obligation to provide the necessary funding for the construction and reconstruction of road sections from Sofia to Bourgas.

In mid-August 2008 the National Agency „Road Infrastructure“ (drunk) announce the contract for completing the sections of the Trakia Nova Zagora – Yambol (LOT 3) with a length of 35 kilometers and Stara Zagora – Nova Zagora (LOT 2 ), 31.8 kilometers long. Tender documents sections are open on the 2nd and October 14, 2008, but before being declared short lists of candidates for the construction of two sections, drunk declares that the procedure is stopped because the Commission letter. Intervention evroinstitutsiite appeal is from a company-applicant wished to remain anonymous, which argues that there is irregularities in the tender conditions.

On January 12 2009th meeting in Brussels representatives of the Bulgarian drunk explained tender, and by the Directorate General for Internal Market and Services of the EC would not priedpriemat any action on the contest, while European Commission sent a letter with no official position on signal. So at the end of January 2009 terms of trade for the two sections of motorway were extended by another three months.

Construction of the motorway will be financed with funds from the state budget and the OP „Transport“ for the account of the rapid construction of Struma motorway, which will most likely be postponed for the next programming period with the justification that are not yet ready projects for tunnels in the Kresna Gorge.

Highway Hemus

Motorway – Hemus motorway is in Northern Bulgaria, which is to connect Sofia with Varna and doubles first road E70 from Varna to Shoumen, Shoumen from E772 to E83 and Yablanitsa Yablanitsa from the sea. To May 2006 are usable parts Upper Bogrov – Yablanitsa and Varna – Shumen. Currently there is no set deadline for completion of the project.

On December 5, 1999 officially opened the segment surrounding Pravets. It has a length of 5.47 kilometers, and thus difficult terrain includes 2 viaducts and tunnel Praveshki inns (871 meters). Bridge on the 48th kilometer is the first bridge in Bulgaria (as of May 2006 only), built on the concrete console technology and the massive bridge with the largest hole (140 meters) in the country. Construction of the section began in 1984, but at the end of 80 years is suspended due to lack of funding. He has tunnel in 1999 and two viaducts have only 2 traffic lanes in each direction without stopping forced to strip and do not qualify for a motorway.

On December 30, 2005 is open segment Shumen – Kaspichan 12.8 kilometers in length. According to information the government information service for the construction of the segment are invested 77.6 million euro. According to Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev that the President is the largest segment, put into operation, and some highways were built in the last 15 years. “

In October last year I made clear the final route of the autobahn once the Ministry of Environment approved the assessment of environmental impact (EIA) and the last station to Veliko Turnovo Shumen. The approved version provides Hemus to waive about 35 kilometers of Veliko Tarnovo, which generate some dispute between ecologists and businesses from the old capital of Bulgaria. However, the final route is as follows: Sofia – Jana road junction – Yablanitsa – Village willow herb (Pavlikeni) – Village Nikyup (Veliko Tarnovo) – Village Pears (Upper Oryahovitsa) – Village Nikolaevo (municipality Strazhitsa) – near Popovo – Belokopitovo (Shumen) – Varna.

Struma motorway

Struma is a motorway in Bulgaria, which connects the road junction in Pernik Daskalov with Kulata border. This will ensure avtomagistralna relation of capital to the border with Greece, after a bridge and highway „Lyulin. The project should be completed in 2012 – thing and will not happen.

Route of the future road length is approximately 156 kilometers in the direction of time is 79 and is part of general transport corridor – the number 4. For motorway studies have pre-approved route, with the exception of the section in the Kresna Gorge. The region construction is problematic because the highway is planned to pass through one of the most important areas for biodiversity protection in Bulgaria.

Three sections of the Struma motorway will be built by 2013 most problematic area in the Kresna Gorge (Simitli, Sandanski) will be built after 2014 will apply for the receipt of the European budget for the next programming period 2014-2020 For it will seek additional money in order to preserve the ekoravnovesieto in the gorge.

Route of the future road length is approximately 156 kilometers in the direction of time and E79 is part of the common transport corridor – the number 4. Daskalov Dupnitza-section that is part of LOT 1 of the Struma motorway, was officially inaugurated on January 31, 2007 total length of the segment is 39 kilometers and it is invested around 54 million.

Recently Kyustendil major candidates for the new Parliament is zakaniha that if you fail enough representatives Emblem of the city to enter the National Assembly, it will put pressure on the management of highway construction to accelerate in view of the relationship with Greece and the benefits of the autobahn, some and pan-European transport corridor № 4.

Highway „Lyulin“

Highway „Lyulin will ring road linking Sofia with the road junction Daskalov in Pernik. There will be a link with the future Struma motorway.

The length of the motorway „Lyulin will be about 19 kilometers. The total project cost for construction of the motorway was 148.5 million, of which 111.4 million were grants under the ISPA program. Because of corruption scandals in drunk in the pre-program money was frozen by the European Commission and released again until about a month.

The high price of otherwise kasichkiya autobahn is explained by its passage through the districts of Sofia, which requires many bridges and tunnels, and to cover certain environmental and shumoizolatsionni requirements. The project envisages construction of three tunnels with a total length of 1260 meters, 26 bridges and viaducts with a total length of 6 kilometers, 3 road knots strengthening walls with more than 2 kilometers and a half. Speed of traffic on Interstate 100 – 110 kmh.

The construction of the highway began on January 31, 2007 and is expected to last 3 years. Implementation of the project is the Association „Mapa-Chengiz, Turkey. The entire route had to be ready in August this year, but the deadline was extended until April 30, 2010 by the European Commission recently estimated that if maintaining the current pace of work, the facility will be ready by 2011 – 2012 year. Executive Director Eng drunk Yanko Yankov hopes that despite the backlog, the construction of the autobahn will end in a program of ISPA.

The first 5 kilometers of the highway will be released for the visit of European Commissioner for regional policy Danuta Hubner. This will allow the closure of the narrow and in bad satsoyanie segment between Knyazhevo and Vladaya repair that without encircling route was impossible to do.

Danube Bridge 2

Vidin-Calafat bridge is planned road and rail link over the Danube between the towns of Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania. The project is part of a pan-European transport corridor 4 and is essential for all transport axis of Southeast Europe and the trans-European transport network with the opportunities for combined transport and transfer of certain volumes of traffic from road to rail.

Since 1980, in Bulgaria they began discussing the idea of a direct and fast connection of Vidin and the country with Central and Northern Europe through an alternative route in Vidin, which would replace the existing railway and decades (later) a car ferry line Vidin – Kalafat combined with the bridge. Particularly acute in Bulgaria felt the need for such a connection in 1990’s because of the embargo against Yugoslavia during the political crisis and wars in the Western Balkans. Plans for construction of a second bridge over the Danube in the area between Bulgaria and Romania, dating from the end of the 1990’s, when transport links between Central Europe and the Middle East are jeopardized by the embargo and military action in Yugoslavia.

At the end of 2002 British-Spanish consortium „Scott Wilson Holdings, Flint & Neil partnarship“ and Spanish „Iberinsa“ are selected for an international consultant in engineering and management of the project „Construction of a new combined border of the Danube bridge at Vidin Calafat.

Conducted at the end of 2006 tender for the prime contractor to design and construction of the bridge was won by the Spanish company FCC Construccion SA, a contract was signed for the implementation of the January 30, 2007. The deadline for implementation is 38 months and the estimated total value of the contract is 99 955 948 euros.

The second lead of the project at the Ministry of Transport 8 international consortia have submitted bids for implementation of the construction of a new bridge adjacent to the Danube between Vidin and Calafat road and rail infrastructure on the Bulgarian coast.

On July 26, 2004 Cabinet approved funding of the project. On February 18, 2005 Minister of Finance and coordinator of EU assistance Milen Velchev and Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of the EC Delegation to Bulgaria, signed a Memorandum of funding the construction of Danube Bridge 2 value of 225.8 million, of which 70 million were grants under the ISPA program. 2 million Euro grant from the German Credit Institution for Reconstruction KfW, are 18 million loan from the same institution, 5 million was a grant from French development agency AFD, 70 million Euro loan from European Investment Bank is a national co-financing amounted to 60.8 million. In September 2005 financial contract is ratified by the European Investment Bank / EIB / target date of December 2009 The construction of road and railway line in our northern neighbor are funded by 57 million euros from the EU and 12 million from their state .

Because of „unexpected complications“ Construction of the facility is delayed. However, if too high will lead and other unforeseen circumstances, as the mayor of Vidin set target date – October 2010, not fully achievable.

This is the state of the four priority projects that linger for years and now compete successfully „sapunkite“ Gorna Arda „and the Belene NPP. They connect the political parties, all of which clearly promised the establishment of key motorways until the end of his mandate, if I get. Another common feature of the election platforms – the effective absorption of EU funds. How? Detail. One option is by accelerating the processing of projects under the Operational Program „Transport“ and „Regional Development“, proposed by particular Emblem. The third similarity in the programs: the desire to include private equity in the implementation of major infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships.

The most ambitious goals set Blue coalition, but it reported weak effects of both the above problems and the need for comprehensive change of procedures for the selection of investors and the transparency and cross corruption. Is not mentioned anywhere, even distrust, causing permanent changes to the management of travel agencies and responsible for the management of European funds agencies. This is a prerequisite for stability and lack of transparency and the new government will have to deal with political appointments in public administration, and more related to transport and infrastructure agencies.

Impression of the main opposition campaign opponents: Emblem proclamatory limitation of „inefficient“ government spending on infrastructure construction and BSP – to enhance public participation. In any case, not for the cost of our infrastructure failed to be responsible only EU state that will have to be solidarity in the financing, but without unnecessary razhishteniya especially in conditions of economic crisis. In this respect, regardless of increased capital expenditure will probably have to be corrected by the next government in order to optimize and adjust the budget.

Poor quality of the Bulgarian infrastructure is a fundamental problem for the economy. Development of basic infrastructure projects may become a prerequisite for attracting local, national and, especially – foreign investment, which would help to mitigate impacts of the crisis in different regions of the country.