The detailed development plan for the construction of the first section of the Sofia Ring Road (SOR) between the Buxton district and the intersection with Tsar Boris III Blvd. will be approved within a month. At the same time, we are also starting the expropriation of the properties for section 2, for which we had approved the detailed development plan back in the mandate of the caretaker government in 2023. This was announced to journalists by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Arch. Ivan Shishkov after a meeting held today with the Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality Nikola Lyutov and experts from the municipality, representatives of the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency and “Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding“ EAD to finally resolve the problems surrounding the procedures for the ring road.
The Minister emphasized that a precise schedule has been prepared and there will be weekly meetings on the progress of the project. Within a week, an agreement will be prepared and signed between the ministry and the municipality, which will clearly state what part of the necessary properties the municipality will expropriate and what part - the state.
“At the moment, 90% of all issues have been resolved. I hope that within about three months we will have a decree of the Council of Ministers to start the procedure for expropriating the properties. We are moving in the right direction and working together, there is no tension. The agreement will be fully implemented, because it is important for us to start the project and build the entire ring road,“ emphasized Minister Shishkov. However, he noted that for the last three years there has been no progress in building the route. “What we left undone as an official cabinet then, we are still finding at the moment”, pointed out Arch. Shishkov. And he added that at the end of 2025 an attempt was made in the state budget to include the completion of the Sofia Ring Road for 2 billion leva. “The case with “Hemus“ would have been repeated here. They wanted to give money without detailed development plans, without expropriation, without anything, just to continue as before. But when we work in the right direction, things will come together quickly and on time“, said Minister Shishkov.
The regional minister noted that only after the completion of the expropriation procedures and the approval of the detailed development plan will a decision be made on how to proceed with the site. Due to its specifics - the presence of tunnels, bridge facilities, etc., it is possible to entrust it to engineering, which in this case makes sense and will lead to faster implementation. According to him, the design could begin by the end of the year and be completed in mid-2027, followed by construction.
The minister also informed that an analysis is pending on how to solve the problem with the damaged facility on the cloverleaf on Blvd. “Bulgaria“ and the ring road. Before proceeding with permanent strengthening, an option will be sought to alleviate the traffic jams that form at the right turn from Blvd. “Bulgaria“ in the direction of Plovdiv. “First we will solve the overall problem with the clover, and then we will give money, first the projects“, the minister was categorical.
“For the Sofia Municipality, the construction of the SOP has always been an absolute strategic priority. We have an agreement with which we are moving in unison for the implementation of the sites. I thank Minister Shishkov, who has the political will to resolve a decade-old case and mobilize all institutions to complete the ring road. For Sofia residents, this will be a huge victory“, commented Deputy Mayor Nikola Lyutov.
Minister Shishkov also informed that work is underway on a comprehensive survey of road traffic, and the goal is to see how more institutions can take advantage of the capabilities of toll cameras. The idea is for all institutions to use them for the benefit of the state and society. “We are conducting a serious analysis so that the state can monitor everything. The idea is to include at least four institutions, with the ultimate goal being to build a unified information exchange system and thus have full control by the state over violators - speeding, trucks, non-paying tolls, etc. The faster we unite the systems, the better the control will be. The reform will happen, but we must hurry slowly, because every wrong step in the delayed reforms will cost us dearly“, said Minister Shishkov.