Bulgaria would invest BGN 848 M, VAT excluded, in the first stage of the project for the construction of a third line of Sofia Metro, Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski said on Tuesday.

The sum includes BGN 685 M of EU funding under the Operational Programme Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014 – 2020, Moskovski said at a presentation of the project in Sofia, according to a news release of the Transport Ministry

Contractors have already been selected for the first stage of the project that involves the construction of 7.8 km of underground railway and eight stations, most of them in the central parts of Sofia. At present, Sofia Metro network is 39 km long with 34 stations.  

When completed, the third, or the Green Line, would extend from the southwestern neighbourhood of Ovcha Kupel to Vladimir Vazov Boulevard in the northeastern neighbourhood of Levski.

The first stage is the most difficult part of the project as it involves the construction of underground railway sections in the central part of Sofia around the National Palace of Culture (NDK) and Orlov Most crossing. The construction works will require rerouting of car traffic in some areas.

The third line will provide links to the existing two lines of Sofia Metro as well as key railroad and motorway junctions in the outskirts of the Bulgarian capital city. The third line is projected to carry up to 170,000 commuters a day when completed.

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