The Season of Major Repairs in Sofia Starts in May

Politics » DOMESTIC | May 3, 2018, Thursday // 13:55
Bulgaria: The Season of Major Repairs in Sofia Starts in May Mediapool

Major repairs of key locations in the center of Sofia and completion of projects which started last year. These are the main highlights of Sofia municipality's building program this year, reports Mediapool. 

The work on the biggest project - the repair of "Graf Ignatiev "and its adjacent "Shishman "," Solunska"and "Six September", begins in May, and preparations for it are already running. Excavating this central street will make it more difficult for pedestrians, traders and passengers in public transport. Trams in the area will be stopped or will be moving on a new route.

It is possible that work on the other big scale project to transform the city center will start too - the repair of the areas around the National Assembly and the temple "Alexander Nevsky. "However, actual activity is expected in 2019.

The municipality estimates that over 160 million levs will be invested in infrastructure projects. Much of them are provided of the "Growing Regions" European program.

Full Makeover

The work on the transformation of "Graf Ignatiev" Str. From "Alabin" Street to "Hristo and Evlogi Georgievi" Blvd starts on May 8th.
The project envisages replacing the sewerage, pavements and tram lines along the street, repairing the Slaveykov squares, "Garibaldi" and the garden in front of the church "St. Sedmochislenitsi".

For a few days, some of Slaveikov's book stalls will be closed and facilities are being dismantled. Contracts of traders
are by the end of April. The repair plan provides for work on the section from Alabin to Garibaldi Square. The second
stage will be from there to Vasil Levski Blvd and the third one from Vasil Levski Blvd. to Hristo and Evlogi Georgiev Blvd.

At the beginning of each one, all ads, bins, and other elements of the urban environment will be cleared. Then Sofiyska Voda will replace the plumbing pipes that were put in decades ago. Then will start the work by contractor "GIP Group". It offered a price of BGN 24.14 million for the project.

The work on Graf Ignatiev and the adjoining streets and squares will last 300 calendar days. The project foresees levels of sidewalks and street lanes to be flattened in order to obtain the so-called shared space. Tram rails should to become more silent. Solunska Street is also intended for cars and pedestrians to have a place for cyclists. The parking spaces there will be reduced after the repair. 

The book market of Slaveikov Square will return after the reconstruction. Pavilions, however, will be more modern and good
looking, promised the municipality. The stands at the Church of the Holy Seventy-Catholic Church will be removed for the duration of the repair.
After its completion there must be a market, but on the side of the buildings, not the garden. It may be only in certain days.

Change of movement

Because of the repair on Graf Ignatiev Str., tram 18 will be stopped.

Trams 10 and 12 are merged into a single line under number 10. It will move from junction. "West Park" along the tram line 10 to Vitosha Blvd. From there, instead of going along the "Graf Ignatiev" to "Lozenets", it will turn to Central Halls and will continue along the tram line 12 to Iliyantsi.
Due to the stopping of the trams on Graf Ignatiev, more cars will be launched on the tram line 4.

A temporary bus TM10 will also be launched. It will move from the Sofia Zoo in "Hladilnika" and pass the "Paradise" mall, along the tram line 10 along Cherni Vrah Blvd., James Boucher Blvd., from there on St. Naum St. next to Hemus Hotel, from there again "Cherni Vrah", then on Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev Blvd. At the National Stadium it will turn on Gurko Street, it will pass all and then "Alabin" and reach the Hristo Botev Blvd.
After that it will turn on "Al. Stamboliiski" Blvd., it will pass by "St. Nedelya" square and from there on Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. reaching "Orlov Most" and Hristo Georgiev Blvd., to turn right to "Lozenets" and "Hladilnika".

Repairs around "Al. Nevsky" Cathedral

It is also possible that this year will begin the work on the renovation of the space around the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the monument of Vasil Levski, the Kristal garden, the space behind the National Art Gallery.

The repair there is also done with European funding. Executant is likely to be the company PST Group with a price of 21.47 million BGN with VAT.
In the municipality budget for the year, however, there are relatively little funds for this project because it was clear that it can not begin before the end of the European Presidency, which is until the end of June. So the main job there will probably be in 2019

New rails

Mayor Yordanka Fandakova announced that this year, another major project, which has been spoken for years, the replacement of the tram rails on "Tsar Boris III" Blvd. from "Knyazhevo" District to the Courthouse in the center.

The estimated value is BGN 40.44 million excluding VAT and the maximum commissioning period is 24 months. It can be shortened if the selected contractor offers shorter repair times. However, the order for this object is still running. Candidates are 8. Tenders are submitted by Trace Group Hold, a consortium between RIP Ilienci and GIP Group, between Marco Obra Publishing and Integrated Building Systems, Strabag, a consortium between Hydrostroy and Vodstroy 98 ", Collasse Rai - ISAF, as well as between Geostroy, Transremontstroy, Patstroy 92 and between HSC and Monolith Sofia.

There are problems with the documents in five of the participants and additional documents were requested. They are to be evaluated on technical offers and opening of the price offers.

There is still no selected contractor for the reconstruction of the tram route along Kamenodelska Street, although this site was scheduled for this year. Estimated value of the order is BGN 6.87 million excluding VAT. Offers are accepted until the end of May, and the contractor will be selected probably in late summer. This project, and the replacement of the rails on Tsar Boris "should be funded with EU funds.

Another smaller tram repair will certainly begin and finish this summer. The plans of the municipality are to begin work on the track at the junction of the boulevards "Bulgaria" and "Geshov" on July 1st. By the end of May there will be launched underpass renewal.

The tram rails will be repaired by the RIP Ilientsi and Gips Group companies for 1.85 million BGN without VAT. The term for execution is 36 calendar days.

Old projects

This year, two projects that remain since 2017 should be completed. It is about the expansion of Todor Kableshkov Blvd and on Montevideo Boulevard.
First begins work on Kableshkov. The repair starts on June 1 at the crossroad with Tsar Boris III Blvd.

The order to build another lane on this road artery was won by Trace Group Hold and the price is a total of 8.48 million BGN. The term of the contract is until March 2019. For the next year will remain the section of the metro station third beam.

The work on Montevideo Blvd will be resumed from July 1st. It will be extended in the section from Boryana Street to N. Petkov Blvd. At the end of July a part of V. Levski Blvd. will be repaired - from the Rector's Office to P. Evtimiy Blvd.

Within a month should begin repair and the boulevard. "Arsenalski".

The municipality wants to repair the tunnel at the National Palace of Culture, as well as the one in Lyulin. However, the order for the first was terminated due to lack of candidates. For the Lyulin Tunnel there are 3 offers - of "GBS-Infrastructure Construction",  "Stanilov" and of a consortium that includes "Geostroy" and "Patstroy 92".

 

 

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