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Infrastructure

In the period 2004-2005 Bulgaria was allocated substantial financial resources by leading international institutions, aimed at the reconstruction and modernisation of its road, rail, and port infrastructure. A leading agency in the provision of the resources for the purpose was the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the European Union (EU) also providing sufficient funding through its ISPA programme.

The Danube Bridge Vidin-Calafat project is aimed at providing a second fixed Danube crossing between Bulgaria and Romania to serve local, regional and long-distance traffic between Western and South-Eastern Europe along the Pan-European corridor IV. The total cost of the project is valued at EUR 230 mln. to be disbursed by the EIB (EUR 70 mln.), EU ISPA programme (EUR 70 mln.), KfW Förderbank (a EUR 18 mln. loan and a EUR 2 mln. grant), AfD (EUR 5 mln.), and the Bulgarian government (EUR 65 mln.). The project was launched at the end of 2005, and is ongoing.

The Sofia airport development project envisages the modernisation of Sofia Airport facilities, including the construction of a new passenger terminal with a projected capacity of 2.5 mln. passengers per year. The estimated cost of the project runs up to EUR 210 mln., to be provided by the EIB (EUR 60 mln.), EU ISPA programme (EUR 50 mln.), Kuwait Fund (EUR 38 mln.), and the Bulgarian state budget (EUR 62 mln.). The project was launched in February 2003, and is expected to last for 36 months.

The Transit Roads Rehabilitation Project III concerns the rehabilitation and upgrade of sections of main roads in Bulgaria along the route of Pan-European transport corridors IV, VIII and IX. It represents the continuation of Transit Roads I and II programmes, financed by the EIB, PHARE, and the Bulgarian government, under which around1500 km of main highways in Bulgaria were rehabilitated. The estimated cost of the project is EUR 40 mln., with the main share of the money allocated through the EU ISPA programme (EUR 30 mln.). The project was launched in March 2004, with its completion expected in 2006.

The Reconstruction and Electrification of the Plovdiv - Svilengrad - Greek/Turkish border railway line project is aimed at the upgrade and electrification of 141.7 km of railway track along the Pan-European Transport Corridor IV. The project is part of a wider restructuring effort to reform the Bulgarian Railways into a market-oriented enterprise. The project started in the summer of 2005, with a 4-year implementation timeframe.

The Danube River Port of Lom projectis, which represents part of the Corridor VII construction project, is estimated at a total cost of EUR 50 mln. to be provided by the EIB (EUR 17 mln.), the Port Administration Agency (EUR 7.3 mln.), USAID via the Ministry of Transport (EUR 0.9 mln.),and the Bulgarian government (EUR 4.5 mln.).The project was launched in February 2005, with works expected to last for 23 months.

The Transit Roads IV project concerns the rehabilitation, upgrade, and completion of 340 km of priority transit roads in Bulgaria. The total cost of the project is calculated at EUR 81.5 mln., with EUR 60 mln. to be provided by the EIB, and the remaining EUR 21.5 mln. – through local financing. The project's implementation started in the first half of 2004, with completion expected by mid 2007.