Motorways in Bulgaria

Bulgaria will terminate the contract with Greek company Aktor for Lot 4 of the Struma motorway unless it makes a commitment to complete it in 3-4 months, according to caretaker Transport Minister Nikolina Angelkova.

Angelkova explained in a Thursday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio that talks were underway with the contractor.

Bulgaria's caretaker government is to decide Wednesday on allocating state funding of up to BGN 750 M for projects affected by an EU funds freeze under operational programs Environment and Regional Development.

The decision is to help cope with the crisis caused by the blocked EU funding.

The Struma and Hemus motorways are the main priorities under Operational Program "Transport", according to Bulgaria's caretaker Transport Minister Nikolina Angelkova.

In a Tuesday interview for Nova TV, she informed that all projects included in the program had to be completed and launched by 2022.

Lazar Lazarov, head of the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency, has said that the construction of a Hemus motorway section may be temporarily suspended due to a funding shortage.

Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) mulls terminating a contract with a Greek company tasked with building a section of the Struma motorway.

The construction of the motorway section, which is near the Bulgarian-Greek border, has come to a standstill and no activity is underway.

Builders have sought BGN 140 M in additional funding and more time to complete the construction of several motorway sections in Bulgaria next year, a government official has said.

According to caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, who is also caretaker Regional Development Minister, no new motorway sections will open in Bulgaria by the end of 2014.

A major crash oc

Lot 2 of the Struma motorway is to be ready in March 2015, according to Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Desislava Terzieva.

Speaking during an inspection of the motorway section on Monday, she said that her first impressions of the construction works were excellent and that everything was going to schedule.

The European Commission has approved a grant of EUR 120 M for the Sofia Northern Bypass project.

The project was approved through a decision of the EC on June 4, according to a media statement of Bulgaria's Ministry of Regional Development.

The funding is to be provided under operational program "Regional Development" 2007-2013.