Almost 1.5 billion Euros have been repaid to the beneficiaries, which is nearly 71 % of the funds under Operational Program Transport. This emerged from today’s Annual report on the progress of the program, which took place in Sofia. The event was opened by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the Managing Authority of OPT Ivaylo Moskovski. Minister Moskovski underlined that in this programing period over 242 km of railway lines were rehabilitated and constructed, and 140 km of highways were commissioned.

“We will do our best not to lose funds under the program”, said the Minister and added that for the purpose yet about 600 million Euros will be absorbed by the end of 2015 which is the deadline for fund absorption under OPT. Minister Moskovski pointed out that only for a year five major infrastructure projects have been commissioned – the railway line Mihailovo-Kaloyanovets, the railway station in Pazardzhik, the bypass in Vratsa, the road Kardzhali-Podkova, as well as the River Information Center in Russe.

The Deputy Head of the Managing Authority of OPT Galina Vasileva reported that the whole financial resource of the program has been agreed. “In 2015 some 260 km of railway lines and some 125 km of highways are to be commissioned”, summed up Galina Vasileva. Irrespective of the lag of the Struma and Maritsa highways they will be successfully completed by the end of the year. The construction of an intermodal terminal in Plovdiv and the modernization of the railway stations in Sofia and Burgas are also to be finalized in time.

Some 13 new underground stations and 13 km of new lines have been constructed and the construction of the new sections is progressing at a good pace as the main construction works on them have been completed, said Mrs. Vasileva. She added that following the commissioning of Lots I and II of the underground the Metropolitan reported 35 million journeys in the last year only.

Beneficiaries under the program, as well as representatives of the executive and local authorities, NGOs and experts attended the event.