New project: two highways pass through Bulgaria from Bucharest to Greece
Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov, Deputy Transport Minister Iliya Iliev, experts Ivan Katsarov and Simeon Evtimov in the 24 Chasa studio during the Connected Balkans debate. MEP Petar Vitanov joined online.
The EU is ready to finance them, they can commit to the construction of high-speed rail routes, says Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadzhov
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Grozdan Karadjov announced a new corridor with highways from Bucharest to the ports of Alexandroupolis and Thessaloniki at the Connected Balkans debate. The discussion is part of the Trend Europe format of the 24 Chasa newspaper in partnership with a low parliament.
The corridor from Bucharest to the Greek ports should be combined with a railway line. This project is a priority for the EU, which can be co-financed and the EIB committed to the procedure.
The Orient / Eastern Mediterranean corridor was also important for the EU. In our country it is Vidin – Sofia – the Tower, and from there again to Thessaloniki. If Romania and Bulgaria do not build their highways, there is an alternative through Macedonia and both countries will be surrounded by traffic flows, Karadzov said.
He also announced another new project – a highway from Ruse to Veliko Tarnovo, with plans to be completed by 2028.
Karadjov also presented the government’s close priorities. They are the completion of the Hemus highway by 2027, the completion of the Vidin-Botevgrad expressway in two and a half years, the completion of the Europe highway.
In the next three years, the Black Sea highway will be launched, connecting the Romanian port of Constanta with Varna and Bourgas and from there to Istanbul. For new bridges on the Danube, however, there was no Romanian agreement on any of the five projects.
During the discussion, Deputy Minister of Transport Iliya Iliev spoke about high-speed lines of over 200 km per hour and a trip of 3 hours to Bucharest and from Sofia to Varna.
The only connection currently electrified was with Turkey. We have three routes to Romania, but with an average speed of 40 km per hour. In Serbia, from Dimitrovgrad to Nis, the railway line was also not electrified and has a low speed. There is no line with northern Macedonia, and the two connections with Greece on its territory are also not electrified.
In the expansion of the trans-European network, Bulgaria is again isolated, Iliev believes. Romania is planning a high-speed line, in Greece it is already a fact from Athens to Thessaloniki, and one will soon start between Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis. Iliev says the ministry will hold talks with its Greek counterparts to focus on the Tower.
Possibilities for high-speed lines in relation to Bucharest – Sofia – Kulata in the direction of Athens will be explored. “We will direct our efforts in the direction of Varna. Thus, there are great chances in the future for the distance Sofia – Varna, Sofia Bucharest to take no more than three hours, “he told Iliev.
MEP Petar Vitanov points out that the EU is introducing new standards, including a speed of 160 km / h for passenger transport and 100 km for freight. The implementation of railway projects is great for Bulgaria to pour out of the role of the peripheral country, said Vitanov.
Railway expert Simeon Evtimov also focused on the high-speed line from Bucharest to Athens, but said it could reach the Baltics.
Ivan Katsarov, executive director of the Bulgarian Forum for Transport Infrastructure, spoke out against the revival of the idea of a 15 km long tunnel in the Kresna Gorge on the Struma highway.
He pointed out that Bulgaria should also develop transport along the Danube.