The work on the project for construction of Strouma Motorway is continuing, Transport Minister Peter Moutafchiev said on Wednesday in a statement disseminated by his ministry.

Regarding some allegations for funding projects under the Transport Operational Programme, Moutafchiev said that "the pre-election situation cannot be a ground for any political party to throw outright lies in public space. I have never said that funding of Strouma Motorway will be suspended or that its construction will be frozen in return for the construction of Trakia Motorway. The politization of this decision shows serious incompetence, which borders on political irresponsibility," Moutafchiev added.

Regarding the construction of Strouma Motorway, most advanced is the preparation of the Dolna Dikanya - Doupnitsa and Kresna - Koulata stretches, where there is technical readiness for the works. After the alienation procedures are over, the tenders for selection of a construction contractor could be launched. The National Road Infrastructure Agency (NRIA) pointed out that this might happen by the year-end, the statement added.

NRIA plans to assign the design of lot 2 of Strouma Motorway (Doupnitsa - Blagoevgrad) in the coming months. The goal is this project to be also ready by end-2010, and its construction to be launched in 2011.

Because of the complexity of the route and the multiple tunnels, under a decision of the Council of Ministers, the construction of Lot 3, Kresna Gorge, is planned for the next programme period, however the work on this stretch has not been suspended. The stretch will be prepared during this programme period, so that the construction could be launched during the next period.

According to the calculations made for the construction of Lots 1, 2 and 4 of Strouma Motorway, a total of 250 million euro will be needed from the initially planned 600 million euro. Putting the construction of Trakia Motorway stretches under the Transport Operational Programme is a measure which aims at the absorption of the freed 350 million euro on time, said Moutafchiev.

Sourse: BTA