Today, the Managing Authority of OP Transport and Metropoliten EAD signed an agreement on the financing of Stage ІІ of the Sofia underground extension project. Attending the signing ceremony was Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova.
Stage ІІ of the project includes overall construction of the following two sections:
Lot 1 - section from Line 2 Obelya quarter - Nadezhda quarter - Nadezhda road junction, length of 4.2 km, 4 metro station and a buffer parking area beneath Lomsko Chausse Blvd.;
Lot 2 - section from Line 1 Mladost 1 quarter 1 - Mladost 3 - Tsarigradsko Chausse Blvd. (part of the Mladost-Drouzhba-Airport route), length of 2.5 km., 2 metro stations and a big buffer parking area beneath Tsarigradsko Chausse Blvd.
On behalf of the Managing Authority the agreement was signed by the Authorizing Officer of OP Transport Management Authority and Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, Ivailo Moskovski, and on behalf of the beneficiary, Metropoliten EAD - by its CEO, senior research associate, eng. Stoyan Bratoev.
The Sofia Mayor unveiled the ceremony and explained the importance of the Sofia underground extension project for the Sofia Municipality. She thanked the state institutions and, in particular, Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Aleksandar Tsvetkov, as well as EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev for the provided support.
Yordanka Fandakova presented the benefits from the project and stressed the social and economic effect from committing 3,500 people to the construction of the two stages of the underground. There are 23 contractors and 23 subcontractors within the project, while another 31 companies are suppliers of materials and equipment.
After the respective sections are set into operation the number of the underground employees will increase by some 600 people - mostly specialists and engineers that will be selected mostly from specialized educational establishments. New specialists are currently being trained that will continue until the facilities are set into operation.
Fandakova noted that, apart from the very underground sections, the construction of 4 buffer parking areas is also important. The one beneath Tsarigradsko Chausse Blvd. alone has a capacity of 1,300 places. The Mayor underscored further that, parallel to the project implementation, the Municipality envisages phased rehabilitation of subways that would be connected to the entrances of the metro stations but are in a poor state (in the areas of the National Palace of Culture, the Central Railway Station and the Earth and People Museum).
On his part, Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Ivailo Moskovski said he is pleased with the inclusion of Stage II of the underground extension project on OP Transport and hopes that cooperation between the Managing Authority and the beneficiary, Metropoliten EAD, would continue successfully.
Metropoliten EAD CEO Stoyan Bratoev presented the progress in the implementation of the two stages of the project. At present physical implementation of Stage I is at 52% and of Stage II - at 50% (compared to the scheduled 47%). You may download eng. Stoyan Bratoev's presentation here.
Investments in Stage ІІ of the project total 311 million EUR, including 250 million under OP Transport, 200 million under the EU Cohesion Fund, 50 million EUR within the national fund and 61 million EU are provided in co-financing by the Sofia Municipality. The agreement includes financing of construction and installation activities, supply and installation of railway track and equipment of the systems for control and operation as well as the supply of 18 trains in connection with the underground extension. Besides, the Sofia Municipality finances the reconstruction of the accompanying infrastructure: Cherni Vruh Blvd., a subway near the National Palace of Culture, pedestrian structures, etc.