A total of 1.41 billion leva has been earmarked towards road expansion and modernisation projects in southwestern Bulgaria. These have been allocated to different transport programmes scheduled for completion by 2013.

Of this sum, the operational programme Transport has assigned 1.174 billion leva  towards the Struma motorway. Another 181 million leva has been provided by Transit Roads V and the World Bank project has secured 55 million leva, Stroitelstvo Gradut reports.

The figures were revealed last week during the investment forum "Struma", held in the southwestern Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad. 

Under the Transit Roads V scheme, there are two major projects for which tenders have been launched recently, with bids scheduled to take place on 10 July. Of those, lot 22A  deals with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Yundula – Razlog and Sadovo – Gotse Delchev roads. Construction contracts are expected to be received in September 1 2009 and the deadline for their construction set at two years from the date of initiation. Investment on these two road sections alone will be about 75.8 million leva.

Furthermore, 64.7 million leva will be allocated for the expansion and reconstruction of the Dupnitsa – Samokov road, or road II-62.

During the initial planning stages, the Struma motorway has been earmarked to be expanded by 66km in its first phase at a cost of 15 million euro. Out of the total 600 million leva, which were initially designated for the construction of the motorway, only 250 million leva were allocated to the project. The remaining sum will be allocated to the Trakia motorway instead, Stroitelstvo Gradut reports.