We are entering the last two years of the implementation of the Programming Period 2014 - 2020, during which 50% of the Program budget or about BGN 2 billion must be utilized. This was stated by the Head of the Managing Authority of OP "Transport and Transport Infrastructure" 2014-2020 Eng. Galina Vasileva during the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Program, which took place in the period 25-26 November. She added that currently 87% of the Program's budget, amounting to BGN 3.122 billion, has been agreed.
Eng. Vasileva explained that with the last amendment of OPTTI, approved by the European Commission in February this year, the railway line Voluyak-Dragoman and the Motorway "Europe" are included for financing. "It is necessary for NRIC and RIA to accelerate the work on specific projects in order to fully absorb the available resources under the two priority axes and achieve the set goals", Galina Vasileva said.
According to Galina Vasileva, a serious problem for the implementation of the projects at the moment is the strong dynamics in the prices of basic raw materials and materials for construction and services, which directly reflects on the ability of builders to fulfill their commitments. "Proposals for legislative changes on this topic are currently being prepared, but due to the fact that the change in prices must be provided for in the contracts, we do not have a solution to the issue concerning the existing contracts. From now on, this process requires skilful planning of expenses when budgeting new projects with a longer implementation period", Eng. Vasileva said.
The construction of the two tunnels on the Elin Pelin-Kostenets railway line is progressing at a good pace in the railway sector, it became clear during the meeting. So far, more than 820 meters of the two facilities have been dug, explained Miroslava Bakalska, acting Director of the Strategic Development and Investment Projects Directorate at NRIC. She added that 31% of the Plovdiv-Burgas railway line has been completed and a public tender is currently underway for the modernization of the 15-kilometer Yambol-Zimnitsa railway section, with an estimated value of BGN 16.6 million.
The projects in the road sector were presented by Zlatka Peteva, Director of Implementation of projects under OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014-2020 Directorate. According to her, the two pipes of the Zheleznitsa tunnel have been completely dug and connected to each other, and a helicopter pad is currently being built at one of the tunnel's exits. An evaluation of the received 10 bids under the announced public procurement for the construction of the section "Slivnitsa - connection with the Northern Speed Tangent" of the included additional project in OPTTI for construction of Motorway "Europe" is underway. The indicative value is over BGN 224.32 million without VAT. The Dragoman-Slivnitsa section (17 km) is in the final stage of implementation.
Under the project to improve navigation on the Danube, all the equipment has already been delivered, except for the shunting ship, which is expected to be completed by mid-2022. The activities for delivery, installation and commissioning of port reception facilities implemented by the Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company.