Radev in Veliko Tarnovo: Ruse–Makaza motorway to be ready for construction within a year
The prime minister set a maximum of one year for design, permits and environmental review. The Topli Dol tunnel on the Hemus motorway is to open for Christmas, Radev said.
Symbolic image · Photo: Pudelek (Marcin Szala) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov said in Veliko Tarnovo that the planned north-south motorway from Ruse on the Danube to Makaza on the Greek border must be designed, permitted and environmentally assessed within one year at most so that construction can be commissioned. The initial estimate had been about three years, Radev said. According to Shishkov, the draft 2027 budget includes funds for preliminary design and a detailed development plan for the entire route.
The ministry and the Road Infrastructure Agency aim to complete designs within six months so that construction can start by mid-2027. The detailed plan for the section from the Byala bypass to Veliko Tarnovo is to be approved in about 15 days. Radev pointed to problems on the Hemus motorway, where construction began without designs or land acquisition.
Earlier, the two inspected the Hemus motorway tunnels. Radev said contractors had promised to open the Topli Dol tunnel for the Christmas holidays and have it operational by Easter. He also met Mayor Daniel Panov, chairman of the National Association of Municipalities.