Bulgarian Cabinet approves 150M leva for infrastructure projects
Bulgaria’s Government approved on February 6 the allocation of 150 million leva to ongoing infrastructure projects, the Government’s media office said in a statement/
The money will be used to complete projects that were designated by the Cabinet as having top national priority. When granted, such status applies only for the financial year already underway, so the Cabinet needed to pass a new decree to allocate funding for this year, the statement said.
The money will be spent as national co-financing of European Union funds for the construction of the Shoumen-Belokopitovo stretch of Hemus motorway, the widening of the Rousse-Shoumen road, as well as repairs to bridges on the Hemus and Trakiya motorways.
In related news, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said the official opening of the Danube Bridge 2 between Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria and Calafat on the Romanian bank was tentatively scheduled for May 9.
Speaking during a visit to Vidin, Borissov said that the date was subject to final discussions with the European Commission. The EC has funded the bulk of the construction costs through its pre-accession aid programme Ispa, with final costs reaching 300 million euro.
Although the bridge was initially to be completed by the end of 2011, the European Commission agreed to extend the deadline by one year, allowing Bulgaria and Romania to use Ispa funding instead of having to foot part of the rising costs themselves.
