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Grozdan Karadzhov PHOTO: 24 hours
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The project for a tunnel under Shipka is not possible because it envisages that all traffic will be brought in one lane in each direction. This is the opinion of the new Minister of Regional Development Grozdan Karadzhov.
All traffic from the future Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway will have to be put in a two-lane road then to Gabrovo and from there enter a tunnel 7 meters wide. This is what I found in the regional ministry. My aim is, if we do not build the tunnel for the whole term, at least to leave ready a technical project for a road and a facility of normal size, capable of taking the traffic. This was said by Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Minister Grozdan Karadzhov in the BTV program “This Sunday”.
He explained that a bypass of Gabrovo has been under construction since 2013 with the intention of driving traffic into the future tunnel, but since then no one has bothered to create a ready-made technical project. An engineering procedure has been carried out, a company has been selected, but no funding has been secured, nor is the tunnel project up and running, because all traffic will be put into a tunnel with one lane in each direction.
“The fact that we are yet to make a technical project will not delay the procedure much, given that no funding has been secured,” Karadzhov said.
There can be no promise with an exact deadline for Hemus, unfortunately, said Minister Karadjov.
He reminded that the contractors have contracts for the supply of materials, equipment and landscaping. They have been ordered, but a highway has not been ordered, the deputy prime minister said. There is no contract for construction and installation work, only for the supply of gravel, gravel, iron, etc., he said.
These contracts are for 10 sections, and only one of them has been concluded under the Public Procurement Act. All other 9 lots are under in-house procedures, in which the activities are reassigned.
BGN 1.3 billion out of a total of BGN 4 billion were effectively transferred to the companies in advance, said the Deputy Prime Minister. He explained that it was not his job to investigate which companies were hollow. No regional development minister has investigative powers, Karadjov added.
The investigation of the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office is currently underway for BGN 53 million withdrawn from a bank, given to Hemus, namely by hollow companies.
According to Grozdan Karadzhov, the biggest problem in the construction of the Hemus Motorway is that the highway itself in 9 sections begins construction without a single project.
To unravel this case, the minister proposed an emergency law, under which illegal sections must be legalized.
Lots 1,2 and 3 are currently under construction, Karadjov confirmed. However, an emergency law will legalize the way contractors report to RIA, as they currently do not have contracts for construction and installation activities, which they do in practice, but cannot report on documents.
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