Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, officially opened Tuesday the repaired section of the road connecting the capital's beltway with the villages of Bistritsa, Zheleznitsa and Kovachevtsi.

The repair works have been financed by the EU operational program Regional Development – the section is 27-km long and includes repairs of 6 bridges and 46 000 tons of new asphalt. The upper part of the thoroughfare still needs additional work over a landslide.

"We now have a marvelous road – with 5 years warranty and all needed infrastructure. We lived to see the day when we have to impose speed limits near Zheleznitsa and Bistritsa over the straight stretch of the road there that will make people drive very fast. This section of the road now provides a European route to the Borovets winter resort for the upcoming season," Borisov said after cutting the ribbon.

The Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, who was also present at the ceremony, explained that just days ago the City Hall has received as a gift a "banitsa" (traditional Bulgarian philo dough pastry) and a thank you letter from residents of the villages, adding the new stage will include the building of the sewage system for these villages as a priority.

"Two and a half years ago, when I was Mayor of Sofia, and people were asking me when their road will be fixed, I wanted to place a sign on the beltway that this road is State-property. I now think I should put a sign that this road belongs to Stanishev," Borisov concluded.

Sergey Stanishev, leader of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is Borisov's predecessor as PM in the Three Way Coalition cabinet.