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Regional Development Minister Believes Hemus Motorway is Likely to Reach Veliko Tarnovo within 3 Years

Monday, Nov 09, 2026

The Hemus Motorway could reach Veliko Tarnovo within two and a half to three years, with another year required for its complete construction, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Ivan Shishkov, said here Thursday. He was speaking after a meeting in Veliko Tarnovo with the mayors of municipalities directly involved in the motorway's construction.

According to him, all the mayors supported the option of continuing construction under existing contracts rather than initiating new procedures. "Everyone stated clearly and precisely that they want us to build Hemus Motorway. 'Let’s start building it right now,' they said," Shishkov added. He said that the meeting was necessary due to legal complications over contracts concluded in 2018 and 2019, under which advance payments had been made but much of the construction work had not been carried out.

According to the minister, terminating the contracts and initiating new procedures would lead to legal disputes, loss of funding, and a delay of approximately five years. Therefore, the Ministry will continue negotiations with the construction industry to amend the contracts under new rules and with significantly stricter oversight.

Shishkov emphasized that construction companies would have to prove to the public that they could fulfil their commitments. Construction oversight will change, and the state will not provide new advance payments. The plan is for construction to be carried out first, followed by payment, with settlements continuing even after the projects are completed. He added that this model aligns with both the need for quality control and the capabilities of the state budget.

Alongside the Hemus project, the state is also working on the motorway from Ruse to Veliko Tarnovo, which is now viewed as part of the Ruse–Veliko Tarnovo–Makaza corridor. According to Shishkov, the first two lots of the motorway are currently under construction, and the contract for the detailed spatial plan for the section leading to the city is set to be awarded in the coming weeks. The route alignment up to the area beyond it will remain unchanged; subsequently, procedures for route selection and environmental impact assessment for the section extending to Makaza will proceed.

He stated that future funding for the Ruse–Veliko Tarnovo–Makaza motorway could be secured through European funds during the next programming period or via a concession.

/MR/

Source: www.bta.bg