SofiaMunicipality– Project for Integrated Urban Transport in Sofia

July 20, 2011 The OPRD's MA approved the second major project within the meaning of Art. 39 of EC Regulation 1083/2006. The project’s total value is EUR 62,624 million (BGN 122,482,833), 50 million of which is grant under OPRD and 12,624 million is own contribution (BGN 24,691,333). The project is directed towards support for Integrated Urban Transport in Sofia.The following components will be funded under the project:

Component 1: ITS (Intelligent Traffic System) – it is comprised of equipment and street works in order to give priority of the public transport vehicles at the crossings, equipped with signalling system. The envisioned equipment and works will allow the traffic lights to operate in accordance with the actual traffic-load and to use different programs during different hours of the day.

The ITS component will be installed on 20 crossings, so it should provide priority of the public transport vehicles within the actual traffic situation. Also, repair works will be done at 7 of the crossings to improve their operation.

Component 2: Digital Information Boards - this component includes the manufacture and installation of 600 digital information boards with remote control at busy crossings in the central part and the residential quarters of the capital.

Currently only a small number of stops have such DIBs and the experience with them is very positive.

Component 5: New trolleybuses - the available trolleybus pool is very old with low technical availability and high maintenance costs. It is provided that OPRD will fund the purchase of 50 new trolleybuses, which will operate the lines 1, 2, 5 and 9. The new trolleys will have improved accessibility for disabled people. The trolleybuses will have access ramps for wheelchairs and a special place inside for such facilities.

The new trolleybuses will decrease the size of the trolleybus pool, the maintenance and electricity costs, the operational speed will be increased as well as the reliability and the passengers' comfort.

Component 6: New tramline from the Seminary to Darvenitsa Quarter – includes 2 sub-components:

  • Subcomponent 1:Construction of about 2.8 km new double tram railway from the crossing of Stoyan Mihaylovski Street with Peyo K. Yavorov Blvd. until the crossing of St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd. with G.M. Dimitrov Blvd.;
  • Subcomponent 2:Reconstruction of 1.8 km railway along St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd.until the turntable in Darvenitsa Quarter.

This will provide 11 tram stops in Sofia– 4 renewed bus stops along Nikola Gabrovski Street, 3 new bus stops along G.M. Dimitrov Blvd.and 4 modernized abandoned stops along St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd.

Component 8:Rehabilitation of the railway along Bulgaria Blvd. – this component will provide 80% new lot of ballast prism and 20% new lot on concrete bed; the concrete lots will be along crossings and subways, constructed in accordance with the modern standards and requiring very little maintenance. This option includes the renovation of 7 stopsincluding repair of the platforms and installation of digital information boards.

1