Sofia municipality announced in a press statement on October 14 that the contemplated reconstruction of Tsar Boris III Boulevard in south Sofia will be delayed until the completion of the Lyulin motorway.

The Boulevard, one of the oldest in Sofia, is a key artery, facilitating most of the traffic bound for Pernik, Blagoevgrad, Bansko and Greece, but its surface is in a severely dilapidated condition and in urgent need of repair.

"The blueprints are formulated, the plan is ready; we only have to select the company that will be burdened with the reconstruction process," said Krassimir Krachunov, head of Transport Infrastructure, quoted by Dnevnik daily on October 14.

"However, state agencies will not allow us to launch construction before the Lyulin motorway is being completed. Alternatively, the infrastructure will not cope with traffic bound for southwestern Bulgaria and Greece," he added.

"Can you imagine Sofia being left out for three months without its only link with Greece? This is simply incomprehensible," he said.

The anticipated alternative detour through the village of Malo Buchino has been deemed unacceptable because that road too is in a very poor condition. A short-term "patching up" operation will not be sufficient for it either, while a major rehabilitation project cannot be mounted at this particular time for the detour.

The long overdue reconstruction of Tsar Boris III Boulevard was a controversial issue during the former government of Sergei Stanishev and Boiko Borissov, former Sofia mayor. The state and municipality were locked in a debate as to what part of the boulevard belonged to the state, and what part was attributed to the municipality. No side was apparently willing to burden itself with the responsibility of maintenance and reconstruction.