The European Commission has agreed to finance the Sofia – Varna (Hemus)  motorway, the country’s Regional Development Minister, Rosen Plevneliev announced Thursday. “I sent Plevneliev to secure us the Hemus motorway, he did it and came back with four more roads,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov said upon congratulating his Minister.

Apart from the highway, 4 high-speed roads in the country will be financed: the Northern Bulgarian roads connecting Ruse with Shumen and Varna with Durankulak, as well as the Southern Bulgarian roads Plovdiv – Rudozem and Dupnitsa – Ihtiman. “This means that EUR 2 B will be spared for the Bulgarian taxpayers,” Plevneliev pointed out. Otherwise, the projects would have cost EUR 2.5 B worth of state budget. He added that the technical discussions in the European commission on the Trans-European Transport Networks’ enlargement were completed on Wednesday and the Bulgarian objects are included. Most likely, the EU funds will be provided in the next program period after 2013.

Currently, only 34% of the Hemus motorway have been constructed – that is, 145 km out of a total of 423 km. The Hemus Highway is supposed to connect Sofia and Varna on the Black Sea through a shorter route than the southern Trakiya Highway (443 km), passing by several major northern cities – Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, and Shumen. At present, however, only the start section from Sofia to Yablanitsa and the end section from Shumen to Varna have been completed.

Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov shows the roads to financed on the map.  Photo: Nadejda Chipeva