site.btaRegional Development Minister Says Mayors and Himself Are of Same Mind, Updates Them on Road Infrastructure Plans

The local and executive authorities work in partnership, said Regional Development Minister Andrey Tsekov at a meeting of businesses and central and local government officials held in Sofia Thursday on the initiative of the 24 Chasa daily.

“In the last 6 months, I have held more than 300 meetings with mayors, including with the National Association of the Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) and we find that we have consensus on more than 99% of the topics. Municipalities are the lifeblood of regional development and arterials are the road infrastructure. Unfortunately, we have neglected them quite a lot as a result of having to catch up on a significant economic backlog that has prevented us from investing," Tsekov said as quoted by his Ministry.

The Regional Development Minister answered questions from mayors and local government representatives from across the country. The Veliko Tarnovo Mayor and National Council of Regional Development Chair, Daniel Panov, thanked the ministers of regional development and finance, Andrey Tsekov and Assen Vassilev, for the positive dialogue.

"We have created a picture that Bulgaria is now connected to all its neighbours and the regions are connected, but the reality is quite different," Tsekov said, adding that in fact there is only a highway to Turkiye.

He said Bulgaria should have 3 axes to connect it with it neighbouring countries. However, none of them are complete. "That is why the first priority is to finish them and where they have not been started, to start them," Tsekov was adamant.

The funds for the completion of the planned 5 autobahns have been secured, it remains to commission the design of the missing sections on them, the Regional Development Minister further noted.

He said that the hard work continues on the Struma, Europe, Ruse-Byala motorways, as well as and the Vidin-Botevgrad expressway. However, the design of several other important sections, including Veliko Tarnovo - Makaza, should be planned, as well as the first-class roads should be widened, bringing them up to modern requirements.

That is why BGN 122 million have been earmarked for the next year for expenditure on the design of strategic road sites for important sections such as the one between Ruse and Shumen, and from there to Yambol and to Lesovo.  "These are projects that will really give a fresh inflow and economic boost to the regions," Tsekov stated.

He explained that the construction of the Hemus Motorway is expected to be unblocked with the adoption of the budget and the resolution of the issue of indexation of the contracts for the motorway from Sofia to Varna. This will allow the route to reach Veliko Tarnovo as soon as possible.