Sofia Ring Road

The Sofia ring road (Bulgarian: Софийски околовръстен път, Sofíyski okolovrásten pat), also called in Bulgarian Okolovrástnoto shosé (Околовръстното шосе, The ring chaussée), often shortened to just Okolovrástnoto (Околовръстното, literally The ring [chaussée]) is an important thoroughfare surrounding Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The ring road is 61.8 km long and has recently been upgraded on several sections, with plans to further improve it on the remaining sections.[1]

Sofia Ring Road shield
Sofia Ring Road
Софийски околовръстен път
Sofia Ring Road highlighted in red
Route information
Length61.8 km (38.4 mi)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
Beltway around Sofia
Location
CountryBulgaria
Highway system

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 connects the Mramor village with the Hemus motorway. It is a controlled-access highway, designed to carry the transit traffic and supersedes the existing northern arc.[1] It was tendered in 2012,[4] the construction works began in 2015.[5] and it was inaugurated in April 2016.[6]

The western arc is completely upgraded to a grade-separated status, between the Lyulin motorway (A6) and the Northern Speed Tangent.[1] The first section, between the Lyulin motorway and the Kakach river, was constructed between 2012[7] and 2015.[7][8] The second section, between the Kakach river and the Northern Speed Tangent, was tendered in 2013[9][10] but the tender later failed. A second tender was announced in 2014 and the construction began in October 2015.[8] It was inaugurated on 13 September 2016.[11]

See also

References
  1. "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. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015.
  3. "Идеен проект на СОП от "Цариградско" до п.в. "Младост" - до Нова година". stroitelstvo.info (in Bulgarian). 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 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. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013.
  6. "Изцяло е пусната за движение Северната скоростна тангента" (in Bulgarian). API. 28 April 2016.
  7. "Западната дъга на Софийския околовръстен път". API. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  8. "Вторият участък от Западната дъга на София трябва да бъде изграден за 10 месеца" (in Bulgarian). Dnevnik. 22 October 2015.
  9. "В АПИ бяха отворени офертите за строителство на 5,5 км от Софийски околовръстен път – Западна дъга". API. 26 April 2013.
  10. "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.
  11. "Last Section of Sofia Ring Road's Western Arc to Be Officialy [sic] Launched". Sofia, Bulgaria: Novinite.com. 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  • Sofia ring road near Simeonovsko chaussée junction
    Sofia ring road near Simeonovsko chaussée junction
  • Sofia ring road near the Botevgradsko chaussée junction
    Sofia ring road near the Botevgradsko chaussée junction
  • Looking at Vitosha
    Looking at Vitosha
  • Next to the National Historical Museum
    Next to the National Historical Museum

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