OP "Transport" is the operational program with the best results in Bulgaria. This became clear during the 13^th OPT Monitoring Committee (MC), held in Sandanski on 10 - 11 December. The Deputy-Head of Managing Authority of OPT Galina Vasileva reported that they have already agreed over 97% of the program budget, which represents more than BGN 1,946 bln. More than BGN 822 mln, or over 40% of the program budget have already been paid to the contractors.

"At the beginning of 2013 we expect to put into operation the first fully completed railway roads " said the Deputy-Director General of the National Railway Infrastructure Company Hristo Aleksiev. The Svilengrad - Turkish border railway project is almost complete. In the beginning of next year the project is expected to get Act 16”, Aleksiev said.

Modernization of Lot 1 of the railway line Plovdiv - Burgas is in a final phase and will be completed in early 2013. The implementation of the other two projects are on schedule. NRIC reported 35% progress on Lot 2 (Stara Zagora - Zimnitsa) and over 45% physical performance on Lot 3 (Tserkovski - Karnobat - Bourgas).

All other railway projects funded under OPT have signed contracts for the construction. There is a big progress with projects implemented by NRIC to improve intermodality for passengers and cargo. There is an ongoing tender for selection of contractor for the construction of an intermodal terminal in Plovdiv. The indicative amount of the project is about BGN 10 mln. Tenders for railway stations in Sofia and Pazardzhik have also started, and a tender for the railway station in Burgas is to start in the first half of 2013.

Participants in the meeting discussed the possibility to submit Hemus Motorway for implementation under Operational Programme "Transport". The preparation of the project is expected to be financed under OPT. From Road Infrastructure Agency reported that next year is expected to be finished two lots of Maritza Motorway, financed under the OPT. Lot 1 of Struma Motorway also moves with good pace and it will be completed before the deadline.

Sofia subway is the first completely finished project under the program. "More than 300,000 people use the subway every day after we put into operation the new sections" said Stoyan Bratoev, Executive director of "Metropolitan" JSC. According to him, these figures exceed the estimates, which means that the subway has become the preferred transport in the capital.

Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company announced that it the tender to select a contractor to build a operational RIS Centre in Rousse has completed and they expect to start construction works in the next few weeks.

The 13^th Monitoring Committee was attended by the Deputy-Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Valery Borissov, participants from the European Commission and the beneficiaries of the program, as well as executive and local authorities, NGOs, experts and others.