A part of the money within EU's Operational Program Transport intended for the enhancement of Danube's shipping, will be used for the expansion of Bulgarian capital Sofia's first metro line.

Some of the BGN 138 M intended for the strengthening of Bulgaria's Danube coast will be used for the construction of the metro stretch between the Tsarigradsko Shose boulevard and Sofia's international airport, Ivaylo Moskovski, the country's Deputy Transport Minister, clarified Thursday.

The sum could not be used for its original purpose, as a Romanian environmental report has been delayed.

Meanwhile, a total of BGN 20 M has been spared in the construction of the stretch between the Mladost district and Tsarigfadsko Shose stations, Stoyan Bratoev, head of the municipal Metropolitan company, announced Thursday, as cited by the Dnevnik daily.

Two additional branch of the Sofia metro's first line are planned — from Mladost 1 to Sofia Airport (7.2 km, 6 stations) and from Mladost I to Business Park Sofia (4 stations). The construction of the first two stations of the extension to the airport began on 15 February 2009, and is scheduled for completion for late 2012. The branch to Mladost 4 and the Ring road still has no funding and will not be started until at least 2011.

Construction of the second line between the Nadezhda junction and the Lozenets distrcit, via the Central Railway Station and the National Palace of Culture, started on 14 December 2008. A third line is also included in the city plan.