It seems that Shipka Tunnel, to connect southern and northern Bulgaria under the Stara Planina mountain, will be built. A few days ago the Road Infrastructure Agency took the first step by announcing a call for the development of an extended project for Gabrovo bypass and a trace of the tunnel below the mountain peak. It is envisaged that the facility will have a length of 3220 m, a width of 10.5 m and a height of 4.8 m.
The contractor will have to make extensive geological and hydrological studies to make sure the track doesn’t pass under active landslides. It will offer the most suitable sites for the location of the entrance and exit of the tunnel respectively from Gabrovo and Kazanlak. It is required to offer options for ventilation, lighting, plumbing and electrical, as well as road signs. It also envisages the presence of a television and telephone control system and constant contact with a central control centre.
The winner of the contract will perform all the coordination with the concerned departments – water, electricity companies, BTC, Irrigation Systems etc. that could be affected by the project, as well as administrative structures – Police, local authorities and other institutions whose authorization, support or advice is required. The contract value is 330 thousand levs without VAT, and the selected company will have 120 days after signing the contract to do the work. In principle the construction of a tunnel under Shipka is divided into two phases. The first is the road leading to the tunnel plus the bypass of Gabrovo and is funded under the Transport Operational Programme in its current edition, the second is the tunnel itself, left for the next programming period. With the coming to power of the current government, however, the project was put onto the shelf, causing a strong reaction of the former minister in charge of EU funds and current member of GERB party Tomislav Donchev. Bulgaria has committed itself in connection with the accession to the EU to build the facility – he said. If it does not, the country will be penalized. It is most logical when it comes to a European commitment and a European transport corridor, to build it with European money, as our Cabinet started the project. Bulgaria has no other option but to complete the project. It will be very expensive if it decides to do otherwise. The state may be penalized two times – first for breach of obligations of the Treaty of Accession, and the second time – for spending EU money on the project of the road without finishing the tunnel, he added.
Representatives of GERB continued the pressure and now are collecting signatures in support of the project, and they have already gathered more than 50 thousand signatures. Many times we warned that the money under the OP is less than demanded. We were able to make sure that the tunnel becomes a priority. Now, this government not only refuses to build the tunnel, but stops the money for the ring road. This is a betrayal of the current government. The fact is that instead of a tunnel under the Shipka peak they are planning to build something else, which will carry a heavy political burden for the current government and will also provoke much anger towards them from the people of Gabrovo, said lawmaker of GERD Tsvetomir Mihov.
Besides using the European money there is another option for the construction. Few people might remember that in 2009 Road Infrastructure Agency announced a procedure for finding an investor’s interest in the facility. Then the candidates were asked to offer a general presentation and a description of their experience in tunnel construction, as well as the technology and equipment they use. But the applications did not include the financing, and nobody was bound to any future decision or participation in the concession procedure. Then 32 companies expressed their willingness to engage in the construction and operation of the tunnel, and among them were some of the largest European companies in the industry. The latter means, that after the conceptual design is ready, the state may be able to think about a public- private partnership.
However, there is still a significant problem. The World Wildlife Fund and several Gabrovo citizens appealed before the Supreme Administrative Court the project for the future route as well as the environmental assessment of its impact on the environment. According to environmentalists such construction can destroy a virgin forest, home to significant populations of bears and wolves. The current project envisages the traffic to pass through a large forest and divided into two Balgarka park. The affected area is part of the catchment area of Gabrovo and hosts many rare and legally protected animals and plants. It is also part of the European network of protected areas Natura 2000, according to environmentalists. They offer an alternative, but it is much more expensive.
The last meeting of the supreme magistrates on their complaint was on October 2, and within days it will be clear whether the court will allow the tunnel under Shipka, or impose another setback on its way.
The BANKER
