The design of two new pedestrian underpasses and the construction of permanent fencing along the railway line in the area of Vasil Kanchov Boulevard in Vratsa will begin immediately. The underpasses will ensure safe passage under both the railway line and the boulevard. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadzhov, during a visit to Vratsa and a meeting with Mayor Kalin Kamenov.
The measures are being taken following a severe incident on 3 December last year, in which a 16-year-old child died and another was injured while crossing the railway line at an unregulated point.
"In less than 30 minutes at the scene of the fatal accident, together with the mayor, we found solutions to three critically important issues related to people's safety," stated Grozdan Karadzhov.
Starting tomorrow, the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) will resume the construction of fencing in the three highest-risk sections along the railway line. "This is an urgent measure which we initiated immediately after the incident to restrict crossing over the railway tracks outside of designated areas. I expect the security work to be completed within two weeks," the Deputy Prime Minister added.
To ensure additional safe crossing points, the NRIC will construct two new pedestrian underpasses, with their design phase beginning immediately. At the municipality's request, one underpass will be located at the site of the incident, and the other in the area of the Metalurg residential district.
Funding for the facilities will be provided from the state budget, while their management and maintenance will be undertaken by the Municipality of Vratsa.
Grozdan Karadzhov announced that he is committing the NRIC to coordinate with the Road Infrastructure Agency regarding the road passing simultaneously under the railway line and under the boulevard, which, in addition to being a main city artery, is also part of the national road network.
