The project has been approved by the Managing Authority of the Operational programme "Transport" 2007-2013 on 04.08.2011, and by the European Commission on 22.02.2012.

Deadline: The project is scheduled to end on 01.03.2014.

Beneficiary: Agency "Road Infrastructure"

Budget: The total cost of the project after tenders:  398 618 465.29 BGN.

Awarded grant under OP "Transport": 398 618 465.29 BGN with VAT

Sources of grant funding:

Cohesion Fund of EU: 318 894 772.23 BGN

National co-financing: 79 723 693.06 BGN 

The project is funded under Priority Axis 2 "Development of road infrastructure in the TRANS-European and major national transport axes" by the Operational programme "Transport" 2007-2013.

The aim of the project

Highway “Maritsa” is located along the Trans-European transport network and will connect highway "Trakia"at Orizovo road junction with Capitan Andreevo on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. The project includes new construction of a 65.62 km highway segment, which begins from the end of the already finished part of highway “Maritsa” at km 5+000 and ends at the beginning of the highway segment Harmanly-Liubimets, which is in its final stage. The execution of the project will result in reducing time needed to travel and will increase comfort as well as safety of the travel.

The main beneficiaries of the infrastructure will be the subjects who use the highway and the population of the region. The highway project will divert transit traffic from many cities and villages, which are suffering now from the the noise, air pollution and unsufficient safe driving conditions.

Location

The project is located in BG 34 South-East planning region and BG 42 the South Central planning region

Technical parameters of the project

The project includes the construction of a segment of 65.62 km length, representing a highway with two traffic lanes with a design speed of 120 km/h, from road junction "Podovitovo" to the city of Harmanly (from km 5+000 to km 70+620), in wich way the missing part of the highway "Maritsa" will be completed.

The project will run as a separate stage with two lots.  Separate tender procedures are to be organized for both of them:

Lot 1: from km 5+000 to km 36+400:  from road junction I-66, in the vicinity of Poldovitovo to the road junction I-51 in the vicinity of Dimitrovgrad;

Lot 2: from km 36+400 to km 70+620: from the road junction I-5 in the vicinity of Dimitrovgrad to Harmanly.

Key indicators:

- The length of the constructed highway section: 65.620 km

- The number of road junctions: 3pcs;

- Bridges (over the river): 5pcs;

- Overpasses at roads: 5pcs;

- Underpasses at roads:5pcs;

- Flyovers at railway lines:2pcs;

- Underpasses at railway lines: 1pc;

- Soundproof fences:17 100 m;

- Sites for short stay/service: 10pcs.

Project executors

Lot 1 - Section "Orizovorice-Dimitrovgrad" - from km 5+000 to km 36+400

Executor:  Cooperative company "Cooperative Muratori & cementisti – Chi-Em-Chi-Di-Ravenna"

The value of the contract: 159 755 613.60 BGN with VAT;

Construction supervision: CLEA "T7/CSIC”, Plovdiv

The value of the contract: 678 000.00 BGN with VAT

Lot 2 - Section "Dimitrovgrad-Harmanly" - from km 36+400 to km 70+620

Executor: Association "Maritsa Highway"

The value of the contract: 146 564 40.00 BGN with VAT

Construction supervision: Consortium "Ruteks - ETE", Sofia

The value of the contract: 799 200.00 BGN with VAT

Results in case of successful project implementation

After having highway "Maritsa” completed, this in practice will be the completion of the highway connection between Sofia and the Turkish border along the Corridor IV and Corridor X of TENT-T of European Transport Network.