The Deputy Minister of Transport Vesela Gospodinova and the Mayor of Sofia Boyko Borisov presented today the two companies selected to build the second line of the Sofia Metro. The project is part of Operational Programme on Transport 2007-2013 and it's funded by The European Regional Development Fund. The total indicative budget for the Sofia Metro extension is EUR 185 mln.

The Turkish company Dous Insaat ve Tincaret has been selected to construct the segment from the Nadezhda overhead crossing and the Central Railway Station to the Patriarch Evtimiy Blvd. This segment is long 3,8 km and will have four stations.

The Bulgarian company Metrotrace is going to build the remaining shorter segment from the Patriarch Evtimiy Blvd to the Cherni Vrah Blvd, both of which are located in downtown Sofia. This second part will be long 2,6 km, and will have three metro stations.

The Turkish company will receive BGN 329 M for completing its segment of the line, whereas the Bulgarian constructors will get BGN 142 M.

The second line of the Sofia Subway is supposed to be completed within 45 months, and the construction is expected to start in September.

About EUR 185 M (BGN 370 M) for the construction of the second line will be provided by the EU funding programs, whereas the remaining BGN 100 M will come from the Bulgarian state and municipality.

Beneficiary of the Sofia Metro Extension Project under Operational Programme on transport is Metropoliten EAD.