Sofia Ring Road

Sofia Ring Road shield

Sofia Ring Road
Софийски околовръстен път
Route information
Length: 60 km (40 mi)
Major junctions
Beltway around Sofia
Highway system
Transport in Bulgaria

The Sofia ring road (Bulgarian: Софийски околовръстен път, Sofiyski okolovrasten pat) is an important thoroughfare surrounding Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The ring road is around 60 km long and has recently been upgraded on several sections, with plans to further improve it on the remaining sections.[1]

Sections

Upgraded section of the southern arc of Sofia ring road

The Sofia ring road is divided into four sections (arcs), at south, north, west and east. A major part of southern arc has been significantly upgraded in several stages between 2007 and 2012, providing now a conflict-free connection between the Boyana and the Mladost IV junctions.[1] The next planned upgrade on the southern section will be between the Buxton district and the Lyulin motorway (A6), which may begin after 2013.[1] The segment between Mladost and Tsarigradsko shose blvd / Trakia motorway (A1) interchange has conceptual design since 2015,[2] with a proposal to be upgraded with an EIB loan.[3]

The eastern arc, which lies between the Trakia motorway (A1) and the Hemus motorway (A2), is grade-separated and provides three traffic lanes and a hard shoulder in each direction. Though, it's not signed as a motorway and a 90 km/h (56 mph) speed limit applies.

In the northern part of city, the Northern Speed Tangent is planned to connect the Mramor village with the Hemus motorway. It will be a controlled-access highway, designed to carry the transit traffic and will supersede the existing northern arc.[1] It was tendered in 2012,[4] and construction works are expected to begin during 2013.[5]

The western arc is also planned to be upgraded to a grade-separated status, between the Lyulin motorway and the future Northern Speed Tangent.[1] The first section, between the Lyulin motorway and the Kakach river is in construction,[6] and shall be completed until 2014.[6] The second section, between the Kakach river and the Northern Speed Tangent, was tendered in 2013.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Столичното околовръстно шосе минало настояще и бъдеще". Econ.bg. 17 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Четири пътни възела на околовръстното в София от Камбаните до "Цариградско"" (in Bulgarian). stroitelstvo.info. 23 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Идеен проект на СОП от "Цариградско" до п.в. "Младост" - до Нова година" (in Bulgarian). http://stroitelstvo.info. 15 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Eleven Tenders Were Opened for the Design and Construction of the North-Speed Tangent". API. 30 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "Търсим 400 млн. лв. за 2 пътя до София". Monitor. 6 March 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Западната дъга на Софийския околовръстен път". API. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "В АПИ бяха отворени офертите за строителство на 5,5 км от Софийски околовръстен път – Западна дъга". API. 26 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Отворена е ценовата оферта на допуснатия участник за строителството на 5,5 км от Софийския околовръстен път – Западна дъга" (in Bulgarian). API. Retrieved 15 August 2013.

Gallery