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Possibilities for the construction of a parallel route of the European
transport corridor No 9 through Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece
To cite this article: Nikolay Tsonkov and Kamen Petrov 2023 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 1297 012018
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National transport infrastructure conference with international participation
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering
1297 (2023) 012018
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
Possibilities for the construction of a parallel route of the
European transport corridor No 9 through Romania,
Bulgaria, and Greece
Nikolay Tsonkov13, Kamen Petrov2
1
Regional Development Department, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, 1517, Bulgaria
2
Regional Development Department, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria
3
kolio_tzonkov@abv.bg
Abstract. The Bulgarian state is significantly behind in the development of its strategic road
infrastructure. This circumstance is complemented by the deteriorated state of the already-built
infrastructure in the Bulgarian state. There is a need to change the policy philosophy for
managing and maintaining the strategic infrastructure in Bulgaria. It is necessary to strongly link
this policy with the regional development policy, due to the similar objectives they must achieve.
They are aimed at bringing Bulgarian regions closer together, and their economic and regional
development based on improved connectivity between them. Achieving all this, however, is
hampered by a significant deficit in the system. There is a lack of connectivity and development
of the transport axes in the North-South direction. In this regard, the authors set as their main
objective to analyze and assess the possibilities for the construction of a parallel route of the
European transport corridor No. 9 through Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, which includes the
construction of a tunnel between the town of Troyan and the village of Karnare in the central
part of the Balkan Mountains. The implementation of this project will bring economic, social,
transport, and financial benefits to the Bulgarian state. The construction of the project ensures
connectivity between the Balkan countries, the formation of a single European market,
stimulating the development of Northern Bulgaria, and a targeted impact on the North and SouthCentral planning regions.
1. Introduction
A transport corridor is a set of high-tech technical links and capacities enabling transport and
transmission in a particular direction. Due to the possibility of transport links to create spatial and
functional structures, often affecting the form of a network of urban centers or the distribution of green
spaces, their functioning has become the subject of planning undertaken at various levels, including the
European Forum. Going back in time, the European Commission Report published in 1998 stressed that
the role of the Pan-European transport corridors was an essential element and a key factor in increasing
the competitiveness of European communities ensuring sustainable jobs, and strengthening socioeconomic cohesion throughout the Union by ensuring effective communication with peripheral regions
[1]. In 2014 EU updated these corridors and developed the Trans-European Transport Network (TENT) which was synchronized according to the sustainable development and mobility concept [2].
The strategic importance of transport corridors for the spatial development of Europe, especially in
the context of their impact on the organization of space, has been assessed in official documents
formulating the principles of the spatial development of the European continent, the territory of the
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National transport infrastructure conference with international participation
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering
1297 (2023) 012018
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
European Union and the Baltic Sea region as an area of cooperation between EU Member States and
national institutions in Central and Eastern Europe in the field of spatial planning [3]. In practice, in
more recent times, it can be assumed that the trans-European transport network is the starting point for
the plan to consolidate the transport infrastructure network across the European continent. The plan,
formulated in 1997, envisages the creation of 10 Pan-European Transport Corridors and Pan-European
Transport Zones on the border of the territory of the European Union and the neighboring countries to
the south and east.
In this presentation we will focus on transport corridor No. 9 and the possibility of building a branch
of the corridor. We analyze the new transport branch in the context of the TEN-T connectivity
development. In this sense, we consider the new corridor as a part of the Orient/Mediterranean route
which passes through Bulgarian country. The need for such a proposal is rooted in the complex
international economic and political relations in the twenty-first century which influence the
development of South-Eastern Europe. In addition, the processes of regional development and the
formation of connectivity between individual spaces and their adjacent regions have a significant impact
on the development of the countries in the region [4;5]. Thus, in this paper, we will present the possibility
of building an alternative branch of the European Transport Corridor No. 9 along the route Bucharest Craiova- Turnu Magurele- Nikopol-Pleven-Lovech- Troyan- Karnare- Pazardzhik- Dospat-Gotse
Delchev- Promakhon- Kavala-Alexandroupolis. This Pan-European corridor is connected to the
Orient/Mediterranean European route according to the TEN-T network. The purpose of the construction
of this alternative is to show that it contributes to the development of transport infrastructure, economic
development, and free movement of people and products in Southeast Europe between the countries of
Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. This alternative route can overcome significant this stage at
infrastructure barriers, which can be defined as a disadvantage and an obstacle to creating opportunities
for economic growth in the mentioned regions where the alternative route passes [6;7]. For this reason,
we accept that infrastructure investment needs to anticipate a need, which is reflected in planning
requirements for assumptions about infrastructure expansion and upgrading at agglomeration, regional,
and local levels. This also implies a new approach to regional development policies and, above all, a
new approach to European policy planning and programming [8]. Without a long-term vision in
planning the development of transport routes, we will face several barriers to economic growth in the
regions and, in practice, a reduction in the quality of life of the population. It is worth stressing here that
the infrastructural development of the transport system is a complex process that has specific problems
that need to be addressed. This means an integrated approach to those territories that have a specific
arrangement of technical (sectoral, functional), organizational, financial, and regulatory subsystems
[9;10].
In today's world, regional development with its functional specificities is called upon to implement
specific policies whose main skeleton is the infrastructure system that determines the transport
accessibility to the individual territory and space [11]. The operational effects of this system are
determined by the availability and quality of regional development policies and the transport services
provided. The factor that is of major importance is transport, which is fundamentally a networked
economic activity. The greater the usefulness of transport, the stronger it is and the more systemic the
links between its various forms, in effect between the urban transport system and the interregional
transport system, which has an impact on the proper functioning of the entire network. Urban transport
infrastructure consists of the infrastructure of different transport sectors, which must be adapted to the
specific characteristics of a given territorial area and at the same time linked to the transport networks
of the region and the country. From a spatial planning point of view, the transport corridor development
policy considers two possible solutions [12]. Firstly, densification of the network of connections with
high technical parameters (motorways and main railways), which, however, has a short-term effect.
Second, is the framing of infrastructure investment within broader spatial development programs, where
less developed areas will benefit more from access to transport networks [13].
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National transport infrastructure conference with international participation
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering
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doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
2. Methodological framework and some author’s remarks
In the report, the authors mainly examine the trans-European transport corridors that are still in
operation, but after 2014 are being upgraded and complemented by the TEN-T network developed and
adopted by the EU. The authors' understanding is that the trans-European transport corridors provide
the main connectivity between countries based on the construction of new road routes. At the same time,
the developed TEN-T network should be seen in the context of the sustainable development of European
regions and building sustainable mobility. The TEN-T network is therefore based on the development
of rail transport because it is the most environmentally friendly, safe, fast, and can provide a high degree
of mobility. A careful review of the TEN-T network shows that only two corridors pass through
Bulgaria. These are the Rhine-Danube and the Orient-Mediterranean corridor. The economic and
regional development of the Bulgarian state implies the creation of transport connectivity in the Balkans
and the construction of common infrastructure projects to form a common Balkan market. The new
corridors cannot fulfill this objective. It is therefore necessary to first build trans-European transport
corridors through Bulgaria, which should be oriented North-South. In this sense, the main objective of
the authors is to analyze and assess the possibility of building a branch of corridor number 9 (Figure 1),
which overlaps to some extent with the new route of the Orient/Mediterranean corridor. However, there
is a North-South connectivity deficit. The construction of new bridge structures on the Danube River in
the Bulgarian territory of the river can be seen in the context of the trans-European transport corridors,
which can be modified and oriented North-South. And this is a significant deficit of the EU in terms of
connectivity of European regions. To realize the formulated purpose the authors, use geographical,
territorial, and networking approaches. The authors mainly use analytical tools, spatial and descriptive
analysis, forecasts, and assessment tools.
3. Direction of development of the European transport corridors and regional development
policies
The aim of developing the network of corridors and their branches is to ensure the territorial cohesion
of the EU and to facilitate the free movement of people and goods. In addition, the focus of the EU
Transport Strategy is to create integrated, low-emission transport in urban agglomerations, concentrated
in a network of lines of individual means of transport and with a common fare system. The urban
transport system in its organization, including the timetable, must be adapted to the interregional system.
For the transport system to function optimally, it needs solutions to improve connectivity. From this
point of view, an important element for improving the transport system is the development of transport
corridors and the transport infrastructure included in them. The lack of bypasses for both rail and road
transport contributes to communication problems in the development of entire regions and their adjacent
villages and towns. In addition, we can consider that the different forms of transport in logistics chains
occupy about 80% of all activities, and therefore have a significant impact on the cost and quality of
logistics services. In the transport policy adopted, the European Union aims to combine the main modes
of transport, i.e., rail, road, sea and inland waterway transport, and air transport, into a flexible transport
network, using their best characteristics most efficiently, especially by transporting goods in a single
freight unit [14].
The corridors are designed to coordinate different projects at the transnational level. They should
contribute to the development of the infrastructure of the core network to address bottlenecks, increase
cross-border connectivity, and improve the efficiency and sustainability of the transport system. They
should also contribute to improving the cohesion of EU regions through better territorial cooperation
[15]. According to the EU's intentions, the core network corridors are to be implemented by 2030. In
this direction, building transport infrastructure linking countries is of strategic importance for the
development of the economy both continentally and globally. The removal of restrictions on the
movement of goods from countries that are members of the European Union is one of the key elements
that has had a positive impact on trade. Moreover, the intensification of goods flow development and
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doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
appropriate upgrading of linear and nodal infrastructure has an impact on economic progress and
outreach.
4. Development of regional logistics services
The trans-European transport network TEN-T includes road, rail, air, sea, and river routes, which are
the most important links in terms of the development of the European Union, as well as point
infrastructure elements in the form of sea, airport, inland ports and roads and rail terminals [16]. In this
direction, the branching of transport corridors may also require the construction of intelligent systems
and new regional hubs to further develop individual regions [17]. In addition, intelligent transport
systems should be an integral component of these routes, the deployment of which contributes to
improving network capacity, traffic safety, and reducing transport pollution. Over the last ten years, the
global economy has seen dynamic progress in new technologies.
The TEN-T network consists of a core and a wide periphery. The core of the network is to be built
by 2030 and the rest by 2050. Thus, the concept of sustainable development of regions through rail and
other transport mobility is adopted. The main connectivity is achieved through the construction of
railway infrastructure. The implementation of the new concept will help to stimulate the economic
development of the EU and the regions through which the routes pass [18]. In line with the new mobility
concept, 9 corridors have been developed (Figure 2), two of which pass through Bulgaria. These are the
Rhine-Danube and the Orient/Mediterranean. The routes through the Bulgarian state cover the following
routes:
- Orient/Mediterranean with the following routes:
Hamburg - Berlin; Rostock - Berlin Dresden; Bremerhaven/Wilhelmshaven - Magdeburg - Dresden; Dresden - Usti nad Labem Melnik/Prague - Lysa nad Labem/Porzicani - Colin; Colin - Pardubice - Brno - Vienna/Bratislava Budapest - Arad - Timisoara - Craiova - Calafat - Vidin - Sofia; Sofia - Serbia/North Macedonia border;
Sofia - Plovdiv - Burgas/Turkey border; Turkey border - Alexandroupoli - Kavala - Thessaloniki Ioannina - Kakavia/Igoumenitsa; North Macedonia border - Thessaloniki; Sofia - Thessaloniki - Athens
- Piraeus/Ikonio - Heraklion - Lemesos (Vasiliko) - Nicosia/Larnaca; Athens - Patras/Igoumenitsa.
- Rhine-Danube with directions: Strasbourg - Stuttgart - Munich - Wels/Linz; Strasbourg - Mannheim
- Frankfurt (Main) - Würzburg - Nuremberg - Regensburg - Passau - Wels/Linz; Munich/Nuremberg Prague - Ostrava/Prscherov - Žilina - Košice - border with Ukraine; Wels/Linz - Vienna - Bratislava Budapest - Vukovar; Vienna/Bratislava - Budapest - Arad - Moravica/Brasov/Krajova - Bucharest Giurgiu/Constanta - Sulina.
The corridors thus described build on and complement the Cretan ones, which means that it is of
particular importance for the Bulgarian state to build the routes along both concepts. The TEN-T
network fully corresponds to the policy adopted by the Bulgarian government to modernize the railway
routes to increase the security of supply and transport mobility. The Orient/Mediterranean Corridor
passing through Bulgaria provides transport connectivity between Asia and Europe. The TEN-T network
can thus be seen in the context of China's One Belt, One Road concept [19;20].
In the present study, the authors focus on the idea and the possibilities of building a route connecting
Bulgaria and Romania, i.e. oriented in the North-South direction. Thus, such an infrastructural object
should be analyzed in the context of the realization of the Orient/Mediterranean corridor [21]. At the
same time, it is a new branch of corridor number 9 according to the concept of pan-European transport
corridors. Another important aspect that should not be overlooked is the development of international
economic and social relations, technical and technological progress, and rapid urbanization generating
many global civilization problems. Thus, regional development is often defined as problematic due to
the different speeds of development of different territories [22]. This is because large corporations very
often transfer part of their production to regions where production costs are low, but others remain
without any investment. However, local investment leads to an increase in transport demand. New flows
of freight are also emerging and growing, and regional development is being modeled, necessitating
new transport and logistics infrastructure. This means that an efficiently functioning transport system
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doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
within the European Union, and in particular the countries of South-Eastern Europe, must contribute to
improving the functioning of the single internal market, stimulate the economic growth of the region,
and increase the competitiveness of individual Member States and the EU vis-à-vis the rest of the world.
This means that we need to be clear about the need to have a major impact on shaping freight flows and,
therefore, freight transport markets. In practice, this means developing all modes of transport
infrastructure, which also means efficient access to it, its density, and its technical condition. To exploit
the potential of Bulgaria's strategic geographic location, it is necessary to ensure the appropriate quality
not only of the road but also of the main rail corridors with a high-capacity logistics infrastructure [23].
Huge investments are required not only in the modernization of Bulgaria's linear transport infrastructure
but also in the improvement of quality and productivity, as well as the creation of new infrastructure
facilities for logistics services, including intermodal transshipment terminals and logistics hubs. In
Bulgaria, it is necessary to accept that it is good to build modern line and point infrastructure in the form
of intermodal terminals and logistics centers. Important for the efficiency of the system is the reliability
of the means of transport and proper organization. An important element in the organization of transport
processes is the creation of contractual transport routing channels in which large flows of freight will
move along defined routes that are alternative but also high-speed. Organized and at the same time
channelized flows significantly influence the proper planning of the development of transport
infrastructure for both freight and passenger transport in the network and spatial system, both
agglomeration and interregional.
The development of transport infrastructure has a significant impact on the economy and quality of
life of regions and populations. In this direction, the construction of a new branch of Corridor No 9 in
the direction Bucharest - Turnu Magurele - Pleven - Troyan - Karnare - Pazardzhik - Gotse Delchev Promakhon - Kavala - Alexandroupolis will act as an effective link in the North-South direction with
many geo-economic benefits.
First and foremost, stimulating the development of the region through joint investments and common
cross-border projects, leading to regional development and the development of the supply of transport
services ahead of current needs.
Secondly, to impose a model of spatial architecture, where the individual elements of the transport
system, due to the wide range of their influence, are placed on an equal footing with spatial architectural
and urban planning solutions and spatial plans. Next, creating the conditions for modern and sustainable
environmental development of the regions.
5. Development of North-South transport connectivity on the new route
For several years now the issue of a complementary route has been very important because traffic on
the Romania-Bulgaria-Greece (Turkey) route has increased 3-fold with increasing trends. Thus, the
construction of this route means analyzing the need for transport services, the possibilities of securing
funds and financing for investment and the actions to be taken, as well as the conditions to be met to
facilitate access to such funds or financing and making appropriate recommendations. This means that
the new corridor route must be taken seriously by the diplomacy of Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova,
Hungary, and Greece. The route we are proposing should start from the southern part of the ring road
around the city of Sofia. Bucharest and continue in the direction of Alexandria, and then in the direction
of -Turnu Magurele- (bridge or ferry)- Nikopol- Pleven -Lovech - Troyan (tunnel) Karnare - Rozino Hisarya, -Syedinenie- Pazardzhik-Peshtera-Dospat- Gotse Delchev-Ilinden-Drama- KavalaAlexandroupolis.
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1297 (2023) 012018
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Figure 1. Alternative route (branch) of European Corridor No. 9.
Figure 2. TEN-T connection according
https://www.mtc.government.bg/bg/category/298.
to
new
regulation
in
2014.
Source:
In principle, this route could play the role of the crossing point of two of the ten pan-European
corridors - Pan-European Corridor VII (Danube), which connects Western Europe with the Black Sea
and Central Asia, and Pan-European Corridor IX, which connects Scandinavia and the Russian
Federation with Southern Europe and Asia Minor, respectively. As a result of its geographical position,
more than 80% of the transit of goods between Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, or about 23
billion euros per year, passes through Bucharest-Giurgiu-Ruse and Craiova-Beket-Orjáchovo. In this
direction, the route is important as it passes through both Romania and Bulgaria. In Romania, the
beginning of the branch leads from the southern transport arc. The southern ring road (A0) is part of the
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1297 (2023) 012018
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doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
second ring (the ring), as it is known, which is 52 kilometers long. It is important for traffic because it
is a second ring and supports the existing ring road, which can now function as an internal boulevard to
collect and redistribute traffic within Bucharest. The new ring road will have a more regional and
national function. It can be expected that the tandem of the two will provide long-term throughput
capacity and, in effect, create the possibility for a new route along Corridor 9 in the direction of
Alexandria and Turnu Magurele. The distance from Bucharest to Turnu Măgurele is 135 kilometers. It
is important to note that Sector 01 - km 0+000 - km 66+000, Bucharest - Alexandria is foreseen to be
part of the highway to the city of Craiova. At km 0+000, the first road junction is being made with Ring
2 of the Bucharest Ring Road, a ring that will be made in the profile of a motorway. The motorway
alignment in this section runs almost parallel to DN6, on its left side, in a south-westerly direction,
bypassing the towns of Mihailesti and Gornji. At km 13+200 of the motorway, respectively 29+500 of
DN6, a road junction with DN6 is being built. On its right side, it bypasses the towns of Gimpati, Naipu,
Bujoreni, Draganes-Vlaska, Komora, and Magura. At approximately km 23+000 of the highway (to the
right approximately km 39+700 of DN6), the route crosses DN61 (km 4+000), near the town of Letca
Noua. At km 66+000 the motorway route reaches the city of Alexandria, a city that will connect to the
motorway, via a road junction. The city of Alexandria will be surrounded by the motorway from the
north. To the south of Alexandria, an expressway should be designed from km 68+000 to km 135+000
to connect the highway to Turnu Magurele. The upgrading of the DN 52 road will become the main
connecting artery between Alexandria County Municipality (Teleorman) and Turnu Măgurele
Municipality, one of the major Romanian ports on the Danube. Here the Danube is a natural border
between Bulgaria and Romania. Currently, the crossing points of the Danube between Romania and
Bulgaria are the Giurgiu-Ruse (road and railway bridge), Calafat-Vidin (road and railway bridge), and
by ferry - Calafat, Becket, Turnu Magurele, Giurgiu, Oltenica and Cularasi. The river separates the two
countries by a great distance - 450 km, so there are not enough crossing points. In this direction, the
town of Turnu Măgurele and the town of Nikopol are a good opportunity to build a new bridge across
the Danube. In practice, the option of a bridge at Hieĸopol - Turnu Măgurele provides the most direct
connection between the capitals of Sofia and Byĸypeĸst. It will be conveniently located in the northcentral part of the country. It will be relatively equidistant from the existing two bridges, providing a
modern transport link with the new Hemus motorway, and will have a major effect on one of the poorest
regions of the country. In this direction, there is a joint memorandum signed in October 2014, which
foresees the construction of the bridge between Turnu Măgurele and Nikopol, a project that was
supposed to be completed at the end of 2016, but there is no traffic on it until 2023. Of interest to both
countries would be the restart of the project to build a hydro-technical junction connecting the cities of
Nicopolis and Turnu Măgurele across the Danube. The Nikopol-Turnu Măgurele project envisages a
16-meter-wide barrier wall with a road and a railway between the Bulgarian and Romanian banks, and
two hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 600 megawatts to be built on either side. The
construction of the Nikopol-Turnu Magurele facility was designed in the 1960s and the first sod was
laid for its construction in 1977. Its construction will ensure year-round river navigation, generate cheap
and environmentally friendly energy, provide flood protection, sufficient water for irrigation, and the
development of tourism and communications in the region.
Once the Corridor 9 route enters Bulgaria, the construction of an expressway with 4 lanes and a
maximum speed of 120 kilometers in the direction of Nikopol - S. Debova - s. Koilovtsi - s. Grivitsa or
53,700 km of new road Beli Osam. This distance is about 78 kilometers, which can be divided into two
lots of 40 kilometers each. Also, an expressway (4 lanes, 120 km speed limit) should be built to cross
Hemus Motorway, around the village of Slatina. Thus, the route of Corridor No. 9 enters the most
interesting section, because in addition to the construction of a road link between northern and southern
Bulgaria, here thought about the construction of a railway link between Troyan and Karnare, which will
connect with the Sub-Balkan railway. In terms of road connectivity, the distance from S. Beli Osam to.
Karnare is 43 km, but if a tunnel is built under the Beklemeto pass with two pipes the distance can be
reduced to between 18 and 25 km depending on where the tunnel is built. Back in 2002, 16 municipalities
demanded that the government include in the national development plan the tunneling under the Balkan
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Mountains - from Troyan to Karlovo. According to the mayors at the time, the tunnel would open the
shortest route from the Danube to the White Sea and stimulate economic development on both sides of
the Balkan. It is estimated that the route from Troyan to Karlovo will become 30 km, 12 of which will
be underground. Ten years ago, on 20 November 2012, there was again a meeting of the regional
governors of Lovech, Plovdiv, and Smolyan who talked about this project. Realistically speaking, the
tunnel under Beklemeto will not be more expensive than 600-700 million euros and will pay for itself
in 8-10 years given the traffic that is expected to be in the north-south direction. The same applies to the
construction of a railway tunnel because it will make it possible for freight from Central Europe and
Western Europe to reach Belomorje, Istanbul, and Asia quickly on the Craiova-Turnu MagureleNikopol-Pleven-Lovech-Troyan-Karnare railway and the sub-Balkan railway, which shortens the
movement of train sets considerably and makes them cheaper and more efficient. In this direction, the
Bulgarian state should seriously consider, together with Romania, the construction of a railway from
Craiova-Turnu Magurele-Nikopol-Pleven-Troyan-Karnare-Plovdiv.
After the Troyan-Karnare corridor No. 9 has been passed, there is a possibility to continue
southwards, where a new expressway (4 lanes, speed 120 km) could be built, starting around the village.
Karnare towards the town of Hisarya, where a ring road should be built and continue along the Novo
Zhelezare - Lyuben - Connection ring road. The route requires the construction of a cloverleaf on the
Trakia highway - Dobrovnitsa - Eastern bypass of Pazardzhik - Kv. Glavinitsa - Peshtera.
This is practically a completely new route, which sets new opportunities for the development of the
regions around which the route passes. This also means attracting new investments in these regions and
settlements, and therefore a new role for the city of Pazardzhik as an intermediate center between Sofia
and Plovdiv. Another alternative route within Corridor 9 is the construction of an expressway with 4
lanes and a permissible speed of 120 km in the direction from the village of Karnare to the town of
Pazardzhik. Klisura - s. Slatina - village. Bogdan - village of. Kliment - s. Voinyagovo - s. Pesnopoy s. Streltsi - gr. Brezovo - s. Brothers Daskalovi- s. Cherna Gora - connection with "Trakia" and "Maritsa"
highway. In this way, the conditions for the fastest access to Istanbul and Asia from Central Europe will
be created. This will also have a positive impact on settlements such as Brezovo and the municipality of
Brat'a Daskalovi, as well as on the towns of Parvomay and Chirpan. This is also the place to draw
attention to the importance of the Sofia-Karlovo-Kazanlĸ-Sliven-Vetren Road, which is high time was
declared by the government to be an alternative to the Trakia motorway. This means that the SofiaKarlovo-Sliven-Aytos-Karnobat route should be included as a priority and designed and widened to a
20 m expressway with four lanes and a speed of 120 km. It is important to note that work on the
modernization of this road has been underway since 1968, but in practice, the necessary funding has not
been found and the modernization of the Sofia-Sliven-Karnobat-Vetren road remains for better times to
come.
Returning to the alternative route of Corridor No. 9 at Peshtera, it should be noted that this part is
where the significant difficulties in its construction lie. It is necessary to work on the design of a bypass
of the town of Peshtera and the town of Batak and then the continuation to Dospat. The distance from
the town of Peshtera to the town of Dospat is 75.13 kilometers, and the terrain is quite difficult, for us,
the real alternative is a three-lane road with a speed of 90 kilometers.
However, the possibility of designing an expressway with 4 lanes can be built in about 1/3 of the
route, which we consider appropriate and possible, but for sure, will make construction more expensive.
On the other hand, this is a justified expenditure, because it will have a positive effect on the
development of tourism and the livelihood of the population of this mountainous part of Bulgaria. The
situation is similar on the Dospat-Gotse Delchev road, where a road with 3 lanes and a speed of 90
kilometers must be designed, in the part with. Satovcha - Gotse Delchev with 29, 280 km. A 4-lane road
with a speed of 120 km should be built. Shortly before the town of Gotse Delchev, the road diverges
towards the Ilinden and Esokhi BCPs, crosses into Greek territory, and reaches the town of Drama. The
distance between Gotse Delchev and Drama is 73,720 km, The road is first class, but in our opinion,
there is a possibility to build an expressway to increase the permeability of the route and to make it faster
in the north-south direction. The route then heads in the direction of Drama-Kavala at 136,740 km. This
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National transport infrastructure conference with international participation
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1297 (2023) 012018
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
road could also be improved and a 4-lane expressway with a speed limit of 120 km could be built.
Shortly before the town of Kavala, the route meets the Neia Igtania highway, which naturally connects
it to Alexandroupolis.
Within the European economic area, these roads are of utmost importance, improving connectivity
between the different territories and enabling regional development policies. In the twenty-first century,
railways and motorways have become increasingly important, forming the backbone of Europe's
transport system. In this direction, attempts are also being made to develop container terminals and
logistics centers, which act as integration points for certain parts of the transport chain, through the
European transport corridors. The areas in which they operate, however, are most often not only the
logistics and regional infrastructure itself, but also places in settlements where special economic zones,
industrial and technological parks, or free zones are important for the socio-economic development of
the territories. Thus, the spatial planning of industrial zones should provide for future transport services
by the recommendations of EU transport policy. The routes of the main and branch lines of the European
transport corridors are important. We have not yet fully developed all the routes of the 5 corridors that
pass through Bulgaria. In addition, we must construct the new two corridors according to the TEN-T
connectivity. More persistence and courage are needed on our part to be able to implement these largescale projects, which are important not only for Europe and Asia. It should be noted that the intermodal
transport market is a transport market with great opportunities. Growing transport needs, together with
economic progress, are leading to dynamic regional development and attracting new investments. An
opportunity to increase dynamism and accelerate development may result from the modernization of
existing and the construction of new infrastructure, transport, and logistics centers located outside urban
agglomerations. Harmonization of interventions between cross-border levels - national-regional-urban
- to prevent conflicts between the objectives and outcomes of projects at different levels (e.g., suburban
road projects undermining the transition to sustainable urban mobility). All this is linked to the goal of
modern regional development that is sustainable. This means that the construction of regional
infrastructure must maximize the functional synergy between the various national and regional
subsystems within the European Union. This will enable proper transport services, and regional
connectivity, attract investment, and at the same time manage the flow of freight, and free movement of
people and services.
6. Conclusion
The construction or modernization of new routes along the European transport corridors is extremely
important for the Bulgarian state (especially the Rein-Danube and Orient/Mediterranean corridors). This
policy is complemented by the implementation of a targeted regional policy to ensure growth, quality
of service, the possibility of storing intermodal units, and expanding the scope of logistics services at a
regional level. These are the elements that can frame new regional development policies. The new
Corridor 9 route is an opportunity for Bulgaria to create the conditions for several regions to develop,
providing the framework in which to do so. It is also an opportunity for the country's businesses to get
a boost. The new route must be built by the Orient/Mediterranean corridor which passes through
Bulgaria. In this sense, it is important to modernize the regions by improving and building new rail and
road links, providing a new type of freight transport, such as containers, which will bring a new dynamic
to all modes of transport. In practice, the branching of the route from Bucharest via Pleven, Gotse
Delchev, Kavala, and Alexandroupolis will strengthen the European Union's transport policy, the
convergence of the regions, and thus support the balanced economic development of the various
transport sectors and regional development between Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. In practice, the
free movement of goods and services will strengthen the possibility of forming a single European
market. Its creation is not possible without adequate, systematic logistical support from Bulgaria,
Romania, and Greece for regional development. Thus, the development of international transport
corridors and the maximum use of transit potential meet the strategic interests of the Russian Federation.
The geopolitical location allows Bulgaria to receive significant revenues from the export of transport
services, including the implementation of transit flows. Bulgaria can take a significant position in the
9
National transport infrastructure conference with international participation
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering
1297 (2023) 012018
IOP Publishing
doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1297/1/012018
global economy as a transport bridge between Europe and Asia (in the West-East and north-south
directions), provided that the transport system does not hinder but stimulates the sustainable
development of the Bulgarian economy. The qualitative state of Bulgaria's transport infrastructure still
creates significant constraints to the optimal use of transport potential. In practice, it is not an element
conducive to the development of the economy and the increase of foreign trade. In this direction, we
should also strive with all measures and policies to build the regional and national infrastructure. The
routes of Corridor No. 9 play an important role in the transport policy of Bulgaria in the context of
emerging problems of creating an active innovative strategy for the development of the transport system
of the country. In this regard corridor No. 9 mitigates the effects of technical and technological
backwardness. The necessary capital participation of the state grows because of the adaptation of the
infrastructure towards international standards. These rules of the game require the construction of
service infrastructure complementing transport corridors and the construction of additional alternative
routes for the regional development of the country. It must also be reflected in an adequate attitude to
the management of capital assets, achieved through projects co-financed by the European Union (to
prevent the premature degradation of infrastructure because of failure to carry out appropriate
maintenance/upgrading). Continuous review and flexibility of design principles and standards as well
as those related to functions is needed. This will reduce the investment costs associated with projects
and bring standards in line with current technological realities. Bulgaria needs to have its commitments
on infrastructure maintenance - funding requirements, maintenance organization/contracting practices,
etc. All these actions will have concrete and immediate benefits in terms of the development and
specialization of the workforce in direct relation to the construction market, including economic agents,
people managing infrastructure projects and roads, and transport operators. It must be stressed that to
have effects and results in the current and future financial period, all these actions with the development
of European transport corridors and the policies for their implementation need to be undertaken as soon
as possible, bearing in mind that they are long-term measures that can be implemented during economic
cycles of socio-economic development.
Acknowledgment
The paper is financed by a scientific project of UNWE number NI 5/ 2021.
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IOP Publishing
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