site.btaOver 80 Dangerous Road Sections to Be Repaired

All dangerous road sections in Bulgaria, where traffic accident rates are particularly high, will be repaired. There are more than 80 such sections, Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development and Public Works Minister Grozdan Karadjov told an international road safety conference in Sofia, as quoted by his ministry on Wednesday. The June 1-2 conference, titled Vision Zero for the Balkans, opened on Children's Day and is proceeding under the auspices of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

Karadjov spoke about plans to repair 3,000 km of Bulgaria's national roads (as opposed to municipal roads) in 2022. These include motorways and first-class roads. Markings will be refreshed, compromised crash barriers and worn-out traffic signs, including such with reduced reflective capacity, will be replaced. The job will be done under very strict control and using cutting-edge technology, the minister said.

The improvements to Bulgaria's road infrastructure will be co-funded with EU money. The new EU-backed Regional Development Programme for the period until 2027 has over BGN 380 million for repair and other road safety measures for first- to third-class roads in the country's 50 largest municipalities, Karadjov said.

Over BNG 750 million will be invested in upgrades of the public transport systems in those 50 municipalities. Part of the money will be spent on smart systems, including innovative traffic lights and electronic display panels. New bus stops, bikeways and pedestrian areas will be built.

Approximately BGN 132 million of the public transport upgrade funding is earmarked specifically for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.