Bulgaria advances Zheleznitsa tunnel construction, targets March 2022 completion

Currently, 650 m have been drilled in both tubes at the northern end, while at the southern end drilling has advanced 765 m in one tube and 680 m in the other, the government agency said in a statement earlier this week.

The Zheleznitsa tunnel is set to be Bulgaria's longest road tunnel.

A tie-up between Bulgarian companies GP Group, Global Construction and Via Plan launched the construction of the Zheleznitsa tunnel in October 2019, under a 185.4 million levs ($105.4 million/94.8 million euro) contract with the Road Infrastructure Agency. The project benefits from EU funding under Operational Programme Transport and Transport Infrastructure.

The Struma motorway will link Bulgaria's capital Sofia to Kulata checkpoint on the border with Greece. Its construction has been divided into four sections, of which three have already been built.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)