site.btaState-owned Company to Build Final 88.9 km of Hemus Motorway

December 20 (BTA) - The state-owned company
Avtomagistrali will be responsible for the design and
construction of the last 88.9 kilometers of the Hemus motorway.
This is the stretch between kilometers 222 and 310, after the
intersection with the road connecting Veliko Turnovo and Rousse,
 the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) said on Friday.

RIA is entrusting the design and construction of the stretch in
compliance with the Public Procurement Act, as the Ministry of
Regional Development and Public Works controls 100 per cent of
Avtomagistrali capital, and the State's rights within the
company are exercised by the Regional Development Minister.

The completion of the Hemus motorway is a priority on the
Government's agenda to provide fast and safe connection between
Sofia and the Black Sea city of Varna. As of now, only two
stretches of the motorway are being used (from Sofia to Boaza
road junction and from the village of Belokopitovo to Varna),
spanning a total of 180 kilometers. The remainder of the
motorway between Boaza and Belokopitovo will connect the two
finished stretches.

The new contract amounts to 1,150 billion leva before VAT. It
covers the design and construction of the last three stretches
of the Hemus motorway.

At its December 11 sitting, Cabinet made a commitment to provide
 budget funding for the completion of the last 88.9 kilometers
of the motorway.

RY/MT