Connecting Europe Facility

Modernization of Road I-8: Kalotina – Sofia Ring Road
from km 1+000 to km 15+500 and Temporary Road Connection

The project provides for modernization of the existing route of road I-8 Kalotina-Sofia. With its implementation more traffic lanes will be ensured, the width of the road will be enlarged up to the motorway standard width and the project speed will be increased up to 100 km/h. National road I-8 from BCP (border crossing point) Kalotina to the Sofia Ring Road (the road section from km 1+000 to km 15+500) is part of the core TEN-T network and provides a link to the Trans-European Orient/East-Med Transport Corridor. The route is part of the direction London – Budapest – Belgrade – Nish – Sofia – Plovdiv – Istanbul – Calcutta which is the shortest road connecting Western Europe with the Near and Middle East. The modernization of the road section will improve the cross-border connection between Bulgaria and Serbia, it will help to reach to a great extent completion of the motorway network in direction west – east on Bulgarian territory; the travelling time will be reduced and comfortable and safe traffic conditions will be ensured.

The objectives of the project are:

• improvement of the efficiency of the national and TEN-T network;
• increase of the travel speed and reduction of the travel time;
• improvement of the cross-border connection in terms of safety and reduction of the number of road traffic accidents;
• increase of the capacity of the cross-border section and reduction of the traffic jams by removing the capacity restrictions;
• increase of the passenger and cargo traffic flows both national and international resulting from the better cross-border connection;
• reduction of the environmental pollution and of the harmful impact on the population caused by air pollution and noise;
• ensuring harmonized transport conditions and improved services for the users of the transport infrastructure.

The project includes the following activities:

- expropriation procedures;

- preparation of technical design;

- construction and assembly works;

- supervision during the design period and during construction and auditing of the road safety;

- management of the project and implementation of information and communication measures.

Technical parameters of the site:

Total length: 14,5 km and temporary road connection = 0.2 km

Direct route: from km 1+000 to km 15+500 – overall dimension 25,50 m

- traffic lanes – 4 x 3.50 m

- leading road strips – 4 x 0.50 m

- emergency stop lanes – 2 x 2.00 m

- shoulders – 2 x 1.50 m

- central dividing strip – 1 x 2.50 m

Project speed: 100 km/h

Large structures:

- Overpass at road junction Kalotina at km 1+644 – L=64 m

- Underpass beneath a street in the village of Kalotina at кm 2+223 – L=10 m

- Bridge over Ezhovitza River at km 2+899 – L=20.50 m

- Overhead road over river Ezhovitza and railway line Sofia – Kalotina 3+650 – L=962 m

- Agricultural underpass at km 7+466 – L=8 m

- Agricultural underpass at km 11+545 – L=10 m

- Underpass beneath the road to the town of Godech (existing road junction Dragoman) at km 13+046 – L=54.9 m

- Overpass at km 13+845 – L=64 m – street in Dragoman

- Overpass at road junction Dragoman at km 14+389 – L=48 m

- Overpass for large mammals at km 4+630

Additional information:

Contracting authority: Innovation and Networks Executive Agency to the European Commission

Beneficiary: Road Infrastructure Agency

Financing: The indicative value of the project is 90 622 638 million EUR (VAT included)

The financing of the site is provided by the following sources:

- Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – 20 584 007 million EUR, representing 24,77% of the indicative project costs eligible under CEF. Grant contract number – INEA/CEF/TRAN/A2016/1367075

- National co-financing; additional funds from the state budget for complete realization of the project.

Tender procedures:

- Tender procedure for selection of a contractor for the design and construction – the procurement has been launched by Decision No. 98 of the Chairman of the Board of Road Infrastructure Agency published on 11.09.2017. It has been published in the public procurement register to the Public Procurement Agency under No. 00044-2017-0057. The notice has been published in the Official Journal of the EU under No. 2017/S174-355641 of 12.09.2017.