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From Bulgaria

The next year will be key to road construction in Bulgaria. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works gave a green light to nearly BGN 3 billion of projects, said Regional Minister Petya Avramova at the Eighth Discussion Forum "Construction in 2019 - Prospects and Challenges".
 
The high priority of the ministry remains the safety of road infrastructure. At present, Road Infrastructure Agency performs an inventory of highways, first-class, second-class and third-class roads in the country. On the basis of a summary report, an analysis and an estimate of the necessary funds will be made. For several months, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works has been working to increase the guarantee periods for roads and highways. We will be uncompromising about the quality of implementation, Minister Avramova said.
 
She also outlined the major infrastructure projects in 2019. Priority of the government remains the Hemus Motorway. Two new sections of the highway are currently being constructed and by the end of the year it is expected that the public procurement will be announced for two more segments - from the Boaza junction to the Pleven and Lovech districts with a length of 52 km and the remaining about 85 km to the road Rousse-Veliko Tarnovo. Thus, in the coming months, public procurement will be announced for the construction of another 137 km of Hemus Motorway.
 
The year will be crucial for the construction of Struma Motorway. The Road Infrastructure Agency has already announced the public procurement for construction of the heaviest section - through the Kresna Gorge near Sofia. The work on the route from Kresna to Sandanski continues, which is expected to be ready by the end of the construction season, as well as the Blagoevgrad - Krupnik section. The work near Blagoevgrad is still in halt due to the discovery of the ancient settlement near the village of Pokrovnik. The Ministry expects the opinion of the Specialized Expert Council on the Protection of the Real Cultural Heritage and will comply with it, the minister said.
 
In 2019 there will be further progress on four key projects: the Vidin-Botevgrad highway and the Rousse-Veliko Tarnovo motorway, which closely relate the project for a new bridge on the Danube River near Rousse and the tunnel under the Shipka peak . There is a political will for these projects, together with the Black Sea Motorway and the tunnel under Petrohan, to be realized through a public-private partnership. Their total estimated value is over BGN 3 billion, Minister Avramova said.
 
New business opportunities are opened by the projects under the Operational Program "Regions for Growth" 2014-2020. In 2019 under the Operational Program over 400 infrastructure projects will be implemented, including the major projects of the municipalities of Stolichna, Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Rousse, Stara Zagora and Pleven. They are for improving the urban environment, transport and road infrastructure. 53 schools, kindergartens and universities in Sofia will be renovated, 16 educational sites, including 2 universities in Plovdiv, 20 sites in Varna, 18 in Burgas, 12 in Rousse. In the municipality of Vratsa will be a modernization of schools and kindergartens, as well as the branch of the Medical University in Sofia - "Prof. Dr. Ivan Mitev ".
 
There are big challenges in the water supply and sewerage sector, where funds of the Operational Program "Environment 2014-2020" will be used to build infrastructure with a value of over BGN 1 billion.
 
The procedure for applications has already been opened, and the application forms have been prepared. Tendering procedures will be ready to launch in early 2019.
 
Minister Avramova identified the upcoming projects as a major challenge for the construction industry at a meeting later today with the President of the European Construction Industry Association Ketyl Toning, the Chairman of the Managing Board of the Chamber of Builders in Bulgaria Eng. Ilian Terziev, Honorary President Eng. Simeon Peshov and Lyubomir Kachamakov - Member of the Board of the Chamber and Vice President of the European Association. In front of the guests, she highlighted the good partnership between the Ministry and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and pointed out that the Chamber is a member of the Advisory Board in the field of design, construction, investment process, housing policy, energy efficiency, regional development and strategic planning.