Bulgaria Regional Development Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, has stated that the tender for the Hemus Highway will be launched within 2 years.

Plevneliev, speaking in an interview on PRO.BG, said that the Hemus and Trakiya Highways have so far not been built according to the rules. He added that there is no possibility for EU funding for the construction of the Hemus Highway, as it is not part of a European Corridor.

“Post-crisis many countries will have problems with highways, built as public-private partnerships and we must be very careful when choosing a model” Plevneliev continued regarding the Hemus Highway which will connect the capital Sofia to the Black Sea port Varna through Northern Bulgaria.

Plevneliev added that “the bidding process for the Trakiya Highway is absolutely objective and that instead of 3-4 months, as has been past practice, the selection board process will be completed in less than a month with promised deadlines being met.”

Regarding the EU funded Lyulin Highway, Plevneliev stated that the engineer consultant has been given until the end of next week to come up with a stand point on the 38 complaints recently made by the construction contractor.

Plevneliev concluded by adding that Bulgaria will aim to sign BGN 1,6 B worth of contracts under the EU ‘Regional Development’ program by the end of 2010 and added that the Lyulin Highway construction will be a national priority this year.