Fandakova: we have been able to ensure continuous construction of the metro for 10 years and it continues to develop
The construction and extension of the Sofia Metro is “The Most Successful Infrastructure Project of the Decade” for the period 2007-2017. The project received an award at the special edition of the Infrastructure Bulgaria Awards 2018 initiative.
The event organized by Gradat Media Group took place on 20 March, as a part of the calendar of events of the 2018 Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The award was given to the mayor Yordanka Fandakova, as an assignor of the project. In her speech, she said: “We would like to thank Gradat Media Group for the award and for their initiatives throughout the year making sure the projects that we realize could be made known to everyone.” The metro changed the city, changed the quality of life for citizens. The metro is the largest transport and environmental project. It helps save 75,000 tons of harmful air emissions every year.
The metro is an example of good cooperative work. It is important that over the past few years we built more than half of the metro lines, 21 km, and the metro continues to be built at present. It is used by 350 thousand people now, and from 2019-2020 when the third metro line will be completed half a million Sofia citizens and guests of Sofia will be able to take advantage of the metro.
Mayor Fandakova expressed her special thanks to Mr. Bratoev, Eng., all builders, designers, engineers, the hundreds of workers who work around the clock to meet the deadlines. I am grateful to the government for the personal efforts of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who started work on the metro as mayor of Sofia. I am grateful to the managing authority, the EC and the EIB. I thank the citizens of Sofia, who have patience during the construction, but they know that it is worth it, Mayor Fandakova said upon receiving the award.
The Executive Director of Metropolitan, Prof. Stoyan Bratoev, pointed out that until just a decade ago, there were only two companies that could build a metro. In order to realize this project, the capacity of many companies has been strengthened and now they are 12, the sites currently have 28 subcontractors and suppliers from the country, several thousand workers are involved in the construction and as many are in plants and factories.
The Western Gate of Serdica, which is the first archaeological park, got a prize in the Urban Environment category. The award was received by the Deputy Mayor of Sofia Assoc. Prof. Todor Chobanov.
The first prize in the Ecology Section was awarded to the waste water project of Bankya. The prize was received by the mayor of Bankya Rangel Markov.
