ECSBulgaria

The more intensive contracting under Transport Operational Program will start in the second half of 2009. This is what the Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev announced at the opening of  Open Doors Day at the Ministry of Transport. He declared that under the program are already contracted 470 mln.  BGN for the building of Sofia subway . The application form for  the subway construction, which beneficiary is Sofia Municipality, has been prepared.

Priority under OPT will be given to highways of the European network and those of national interest. Among the priorities is also the building of Struma highway, which will be funded with EUR 600  million. The building of Maritza highway will start at the beginning of  the next year, said Mutafchiev.

What differentiates OPT from other operational programs is that the final beneficiaries are known in advance, added Mutafchiev. Among them is the National company Railway Transport  with a few projects. The building of high-speed railway Sofia - Vidin was qualified by the minister as the most important project of this axis.

A new contract is to be signed till the end of 2008 for the construction of Svilengrad - Turkish boarder  railway, another major project under OPT. The value of the contract will be around EUR 48 mln.,  according to Mutafchiev.

The largest project under Improvement of Shipping Conditions Of  Maritime and Internal Water Ways  Priority Axis is the improvement of shipping in Bulgarian and Romanian section of Danube river. It amounts EUR 138 mln.