Lots 0 and 2 of the Vidin-Montana road can be completed in 2027, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov told reporters on Monday after inspecting repairs on the third-class Inovo-Boynitsa-Kula road near the village of Perilovets, Northwestern Bulgaria.
The roughly 95-km Vidin-Montana route is part of the wider Vidin-Botevgrad road project and has traditionally been divided into six construction sections or lots: Vidin-Makresh, Makresh-Bela, Bela-Ruzhintsi, Ruzhintsi-Belotintsi, Belotintsi-Vinishte and Vinishte-Montana. Recent official statements use revised numbering that includes a “Lot 0” near Vidin, marking the starting point of the route.
“I personally believe these two sections should be completed within the next year, especially Lot 0, which is further advanced,” Shishkov said. He said work on Lot 0 had been halted after Vidin Municipality requested the construction of local access roads, requiring an amendment to the detailed development plan. A new assignment has already been prepared and coordinated with all institutions, he said. The deadline for possible appeals is due to expire soon, after which the Minister is expected to issue an order allowing the plan to be amended.
Regarding the other three lots, Shishkov pointed to advance payments made without full project readiness and without indexation, comparing the situation to that surrounding Hemus Motorway. “The problem with this road is yet another in-house case, another example of legal violations committed in 2020. Once again, advance payments were made, and the situation is exactly the same as with Hemus,” he said.
Shishkov said final talks were under way on prices and terms for the three lots. The proposed model envisages completing construction within two and a half years, while the State would pay for the projects in instalments over five years.
The Minister said the most direct route linking Vidin with Sofia and Kulata would run through a tunnel under the Petrohan Pass, which he estimated would most likely be around 10 km long. Procedures for the environmental impact assessment and route selection are under way, he said, recalling that the facility is planned as a public-private partnership.
Shishkov also commented on the repair of the Topli Dol tunnel on Hemus Motorway and apologized to motorists for the congestion and inconvenience, saying the State had no alternative because the tunnel was in critical condition. “It is better to apologize for traffic jams than for loss of life,” the Minister said.
Responding to criticism over why traffic was not being diverted along the old route through Vitinya, Shishkov said the road was unsafe because of a retaining wall that could collapse at any time. He said no work had been carried out on the wall over the past year and that repairs were expected to begin early next year and take about a year.
Shishkov said the full renovation of the Topli Dol tunnel would take around six months. Contractors had assured the authorities that traffic would be temporarily allowed through the tunnel around the Christmas and New Year holidays to ease heavy seasonal traffic.
Turning to the third-class Inovo-Boynitsa-Kula road near the village of Perilovets, Shishkov said a major overhaul was under way based on an approved design, including the replacement and construction of bridges and other road facilities. Contractors expect the section to be completed by the end of the year, he added.
The contract for the overhaul of the nearly 12-km road section was awarded in May 2024 and provides for completion within 360 calendar days from the opening of the construction site, according to Bulgaria’s electronic public procurement system.
The total contract value is about EUR 12 million excluding VAT, or EUR 14.4 million including VAT. Construction works account for about EUR 10.7 million excluding VAT, while contingency costs amount to about EUR 1.29 million.
The first sod for the overhaul of the 12-km section of the Inovo-Gradets-Perilovets-Shishentsi-Boynitsa-Kula road, between km 20 and km 31.8, was turned in early September 2025.
Later on Monday, Shishkov is continuing meetings under the Regions Speak initiative in Vidin and Montana regions with regional governors Ognyan Mihaylov and Ivan Kamenov, mayors and MPs from the two regions.
Vidin-Montana Road Lots 0 and 2 Can Be Completed in 2027, Regional Development Minister Says THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-19 09:33:52
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