The construction of Bulgaria's Hemus highway is to start in 2016, according to Regional Development Minister Desislava Terzieva.

Speaking Thursday after a sitting of the public council at the Regional Development Ministry, she explained that the final route had been selected among four options.

The highway is to pass at a relatively equal distance from Pleven and Lovech, Terzieva said, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

The first stage of the highway project is from the city of Yablanitsa to the road junction for Pleven and Lovech. It is around 60km long and is estimated at around EUR 180 M.

The second section runs to the city of Veliko Tarnovo and is around 85 km long.

The third section is from Veliko Tarnovo to Belokopitovo and is around 110 km long.

Currently, the section from Shumen to Belokopitovo is being built.

The project for the highway section from Yablanitsa to the road junction for Pleven and Lovech was launched in 2013 and the tender for designing the highway section to Veliko Tarnovo will be held in the second quarter of 2014.

The highway project is to be subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure and to public discussion so as to ensure dialogue with all interested parties, according to Terzieva.

The construction of the Hemus highway is a priority of the government and is to start in 2016. The designing is funded under the Transport operational program.

According to analyses, an average of18 000 vehicles are to use the highway on a daily basis by 2020.