The opening of the second line of the Sofia Metro in 2012 will double its load to 400 000 passengers daily, from the current 180 000, according to Sofia Mayor Fandakova.

Fandakova said upon inspecting the subway construction, that the completion of the second line should relieve the traffic in Sofia by 25%.

At present, the Sofia Metro has only one operational line from the Obelya and Lyulin quarters in the northwest to the Mladost 1 quarter in the southeast. The second line will run from the Nadezhda quarter in the north to the downtown quarter of Lozenets, with the two lines crossing in the downtown.

Fandakova inspected the future metro station at the Central Railway Station and the Central Bus State in Sofia. The metro station will have two levels and a parking lot with 160 spots.

The mayor pointed out that the underpasses at the railway station, which at present are in a horrific condition, will be reconstructed and modernized.

The same goes for the underpass of the National Palace of Culture, whose reconstruction will start in 2011.

Fandakova expressed her satisfaction with the work of the special machine for tunnel digging which advances by 20 meters a day.

She said that 51% of all work on the sections of the second metro have already been completed.