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The state-owned Avtomagistrali, which has swallowed billions of levies without public procurement in recent years, receives another one billion for the construction of a 66-kilometer stretch of the Vidin-Botevgrad highway.
Boyko Borissov recently checked how construction is progressing between Vidin and Makresh.
Therefore, the new state building mastodon bill increased to more 4.5 billion BGN orders for the next few years, no matter which government is in power. The anticipated commitment of budget money began in late 2018 with the first billion for a stretch of the Hemus Expressway. This was followed by more than 500 million for reinforcement of landslides, another one billion for another section of Hemus, repair of viaducts, tunnels and maintenance of sections of the Struma, Maritsa, Trakia and Hemus roads for hundreds of millions.
All of this was done to make the Hemus highway construction process “irreversible,” as Prime Minister Boyko Borissov explained. That is, as he likes to say, even if GERB is not in power, this money cannot be used for anything else.
As “Highways” does not have the equipment or personnel to build the infrastructure facilities assigned to it, it redistributes the money assigned by the State among the construction companies, through the so-called external service contracts.
The company’s sales revenue for 2018, the year before the billions stream, amounts to nearly BGN 79 million. Next year they will increase to BGN 85.5 million. For the first half of 2020, its turnover amounts to BGN 68.3 million. ., which is an increase of more than 50% compared to the previous year. Of these, more than BGN 50 million were paid for external services, it is clear from the “Autopistas” report, without specifying which companies and why this money was paid.
At the same time, the company’s workforce gradually increases from 293 people in 2018 to 355 people a year later. A few days ago, the press center of the regional ministry released information that “Autopistas” has hired 200 new workers this year and has bought new construction equipment.
As can be seen from the financial statements, the company does not use the funds generously poured out by the state, so the construction of the sites progresses faster. A typical example is the allocation of more than 500 million BGN for the strengthening of 74 landslides more than a year ago. At the moment, the only fortification is the one on the road to Rila Monastery from “Groma Hold”, the old “Agromah”. This fact became known after RIA published photos with Agromah trucks.
One possible reason for the slow construction at prices significantly higher than those achieved in public tenders is probably the fact that some of the big builders refuse to work under the “Roads” scheme. It is unofficially stated that the requirement was to deduct commissions. Construction companies want to know if Borissov decided to introduce “state capitalism” into industry to liquidate large private companies. For now, however, companies are silent and do not want to speak openly against the new model imposed by GERB.
The new billion secretly released
At the same time, the government no longer even announces the new billions.
The decision to allocate more than BGN 1 billion for the Vidin-Botevgrad highway was taken on August 19, but then the government press service, for unknown reasons, did not announce it in the short messages it sent to the media. . It is only declared that they are granted Up to an additional BGN 379 million from the budget of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, respectively the Road Infrastructure Agency for 2020. It will be invested in the modernization of almost 69 km of the Vidin – Botevgrad road between Makresh. and the Montana bypass. ”
At the same time, the decree published on August 25 in the legal information system of the Council of Ministers shows that the budgetary expenditures of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works increase by 1,038 million BGN, since the funds are for a tranche of the Vidin-Botevgrad highway. (Resolution №229 of August 21, 2020 – ed.)
In early September, builders said it was the new billion for the state behemoth “Freeways.” The confirmation came a month after RIA.
The Vidin – Botevgrad road will be ready in 2023 at the earliest.
On Friday, RIA reported that “Freeways “ EAD will build 65.8 km of the Vidin – Botevgrad first class highway on the stretch between Makresh Road Junction and Montana Ring Road. The contract is worth it 1,083,000,000 BGN with VAT, and the implementation period is different for each of the five sections: from 28 months to 32 months.
This means that if these deadlines are met, the Vidin – Botevgrad highway will be ready in 2023. In early 2018, Borisov promised the protesters in Vidin that the highway to Botevgrad will be completed in December 2021, and most -the most sections heavy will be ready at the end of 2020. These deadlines were even set in a decision taken at an operational meeting of the Council of Ministers.
To speed up construction, the 65.8 km long section between the Makresh road junction and the Montana Beltway is divided into 5 sections between 10 and 15 km in length. This is an indicator that at least five private construction companies will be contracted for them under the known scheme. The price per kilometer of road on which “Highways” will be built is high enough – BGN 16.4 million through a relatively flat section with highway dimensions.
Private companies are building another 62.6 km of the Vidin – Botevgrad highway
Construction of the Vidin – Botevgrad highway initially started with the selection of builders under the Public Procurement Law. And at least that was the idea until recently, because this site is eligible for European funding and, following the procedures, the money could be recovered.
Thus, two partnerships were chosen for the construction of the road between Botevgrad and Mezdra, as well as for the section from Vidin to Makresh. The difference between them and the state “Highways” is that they build on their own, with no upfront payment, and they will receive their money only after completing it. This new working model was introduced for builders to work quickly and efficiently, due to the extended warranty.
The section of Mezdra to Botevgrad (33 km) It is divided into two lots. An artist – “Geopath lot 1”, with the participants “Geostroy” and “Patstroy 92”, it works at a price 8.2 million BGN/km, which is twice less than that of “Roads” – BGN 16.4 million/km. The difference is that one site is a highway in mountainous terrain and the other is a highway in flat terrain.
At the time of the majority–high price of 20 million BGN /km build the Union “MB Lot2 – 2019”, including European Roads AD (the new name “Roads Plovdiv”), Vodno Stroitelstvo-Blagoevgrad AD and Vahostav-SK AS They are building a 13.4 km stretch between Mezdra and Botevgrad.
Another 30 km of the Vidin-Botevgrad highway, which the prime minister recently inspected, is under construction. This is the 30-kilometer stretch from Vidin to pv Makreshwhich is built from “Northwest Lot 1” DZZD at the price of 12.5 million BGN/km. The union includes the companies “Nivel Stroy”, “PST Group”, “Patinzhenering – M”, “PST Vidin” and “PST Sofia”.
Tenders were also announced under the Public Procurement Law for two more sections of the Vidin-Ruzhentsi highway (20 km), but were subsequently suspended to implement the “Autopistas” plan.
Montana – Vidin Highway Section
There is no decision for the section Vratsa – Montana
Thus, for the entire Vidin – Botevgrad highway, which is 167 km long, so far there is no solution only for the section between Vratsa and Montana. It currently has two lanes, and there are three lanes on the climbs.
The reason is that no EIA decision has come into force for him, after the Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of a company whose explosives warehouse, located in the vicinity of the route, will be affected.
No works are underway on the stretch between Mezdra and Vratsa, but at the moment it is mostly four-lane and in relatively good condition, although it was built during the socialist era.
Western direction is a priority for the EU
The Vidin – Botevgrad highway is part of the European Corridor IV and will provide a quick and convenient connection from Western Europe to the port of Thessaloniki. Its construction was initially a top priority during the first programming period 2007-2013, but with the coming to power of GERB it was replaced by other projects: the Trakia highway and the tunnel under Shipka.
Traffic on the Vidin – Botevgrad highway became extremely congested after the second bridge over the Danube between Vidin and Calafat was put into operation. The reason is that the highway has a convenient connection with the “Hemus”, “Trakia” and “Struma” highways.
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