Eng. Chaykov: About BGN 8 Million Saved So Far from Winter Maintenance of National Roads
About BGN 8 million of the funds envisaged for winter maintenance of the National Road Network were saved from November up to now as a result of the mild winter, Eng. Stefan Chaykov, Chairman of the Management Board of Road Infrastructure Agency announced at a press conference. The economy in November 2013 as compared with the same month of year 2012 was about BGN 1,5 million and it is expected to be about BGN 2 million for December.
We saved another BGN 5 million with the issuance of the Order for the winter maintenance of the roads from 15 November, and not from 1 November, the Chairman of the Management Board of Road Infrastructure Agency reminded. We will invest the economized financial resource into current repairs of the national roads in spring, Eng. Chaykov emphasized.
The Agency paid about BGN 6,1 million for the winter maintenance of the road maintaining companies during November last year, whilst the amount in November 2012 was over BGN 7,5 million, and it was over BGN 7,6 million in November 2011. At the moment the experts are receiving and checking up the certificates for the activities implemented in December. The forecast is that we will pay about BGN 11 million for the winter maintenance in December 2013, whilst this cost to the Budget BGN 12,8 million for the same month of year 2012, Eng. Chaykov announced.
The Chairman of the Management Board of Road Infrastructure Agency stated that Road Infrastructure Agency completed year 2013 without owing any money to the road construction companies implementing projects with state investment loans for the first time in years. All the activities implemented were paid for. The unpaid liabilities were about BGN 40 million as at the end of December 2012.
Eng. Chaykov acquainted the media with the implementation of the large infrastructural projects as well. The contract for the construction of North Speed Tangent is imminent for being signed by the end of January. The design of the project will promptly start up and the construction works, which will be financed under Operational Program Regional Development, will commence in spring. The Supreme Administrative Court upheld a final Decision with regard to the selection of a contractor in the last few working days of last year, and the documents are being prepared for signing the contract with Consortium HPVS-NST at the moment. The length of the section is 16.54 km. The value of the contract is BGN 149 999 999 exclusive of VAT. The term for the completion of the project is by the end of year 2015. North Speed Tangent is a project of exceptional significance for Sofia and the country, as some of the most important road connections of the country – Trakia, Hemus, Lyulin motorways and the road Sofia – Kalotina intersect in it. The construction of 19 structures, 3 big road junctions and so on is envisaged.
The Western Arc of Sofia Ring Road is another project of significance for the capital. We received on 19 December 2013 a notification by the European Commission that the application form for the project was defined as permissible, Eng. Chaykov announced.
The traffic along road Kardjali – Podkova, which is executed under Operational Program Transport, is forthcoming for commissioning by the end of January as well. The new road section is with length of 24,2 km of direct route and 2,368 km of connection for the village of Fotinovo. Supplementary design and implementation of activities related to strengthening and stabilization of the sections were assigned due to unforeseen geotechnical and hydro-geological factors.
The Chairman of the Management Board of Road Infrastructure Agency announced that the completion of the execution of nearly 15 km of Struma motorway – lot 4 Sandanski – Kulata is forthcoming in 2014, as well as of 65 km of Maritsa motorway. The execution of the bypass road of Vratsa will be completed by the middle of the year as well.
The construction works for lot 2 of Struma motorway – Blagoevgrad – Dupnitsa, which are to be completed in 2015, are also on schedule. The work on lot 4 Sandanski - Kulata continues as well. The supplementary procedure we started up because of the displacement of the open engineering networks is completed and the signing of the contract with the contractor Aktor is forthcoming. The term for the completion of the project, which in conformity with the contract is March 2014, will be extended by 90 days, as the term for the implementation of the additional activities is. I do hope that the land acquisition procedures will be completed as soon as possible so that the constructors could enter and work on the displacement of the engineering networks, Eng. Chaykov said.
The contractor of Lot 1 Orizovo – Dimitrovgrad of Maritsa motorway at the moment is preparing an updated technological – construction program to compensate the delay stated at the project. A letter was received from the constructor of Lot 2 Dimitrovgrad – Harmanli with a request for the extension of the term for execution, as in conformity with the Contract it expires in February 2014. There are engineering networks uncovered by the investment design at the site – two high voltage electric lines, two gas pipelines and cables, ownership of various operators and this impedes the execution of the construction works within the term fixed. There are difficulties also with the waters from the dam lake at the village of Krepost and due to this additional measures are to be undertaken, Eng. Chaykov explained.
The work on projects implemented under Operational Program Regional Development and Transit Roads V continues in 2014 as well. The tenders for rehabilitation of the old sections of Trakia motorway, which will be financed under Transit Roads V, will be started up at the end of January. About 46 km will be rehabilitated – from km 5+500 to km 10+000, from km 63+000 to km 90+200 and from km 119+700 to km 133+600. The sections are at the exit from the city of Sofia, in the proximity of Pazardjik and Plovdiv. The term of the construction and assembly works will be 18 months and the condition will be put for the Contractors to provide for normal roadability along the repaired motorway sections on Fridays, Sunday afternoons and on holidays aimed at not making the traffic difficult, the Chairman of the Management Board of Road Infrastructure Agency declared.