39 years later: The historic breakthrough at the Lozarevo railway tunnel is near

The iconic Lozarevo railway tunnel, which for decades stood as an unfinished symbol of the large-scale infrastructure projects from the end of the socialist era, is just a step away from being fully excavated. About 90 m separate the construction crews from the final connection of the two sides of the structure. This became clear following an on-site inspection by Acting Deputy Minister of Transport Murad Türk and Director General of the NRIC (National Railway Infrastructure Company) Yordan Varbanov.

With a length of 2 774 m, “Lozarevo” is the longest double-track railway tunnel not only in Bulgaria but also on the entire Balkan Peninsula. It is a key link in the Karnobat – Sindel railway line, which connects northeastern and southeastern Bulgaria.

Currently construction teams work in an area with complex geological conditions which requires exceptional safety measures and ground reinforcement according to a press release from the Ministry of Transport.

The tunnel’s history spans nearly four decades. Groundbreaking took place in 1987 by the Ministry of Transport’s construction units. By the end of the 1980s nearly half of the planned length had been built, but funding was suspended following political changes. Over the years the project was put on hold and resumed several times until work restarted with renewed momentum in 2024.

Deputy Minister Türk emphasized that the project is crucial for improving connectivity between northeastern and southeastern Bulgaria, noting that the team ensures strict adherence to all design and technical requirements and standards.

During the inspection the team provided an overview of the current status of the site, the measures taken to stabilize the complex terrain and the progress of construction activities. Representatives of the contractor and the construction supervision team provided information on the challenges and upcoming phases as well as on measures to minimize risks associated with the complex geological conditions, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Work is currently underway under a public procurement contract launched in 2023. Completion of the project is divided into two strategic phases with a total value of €100.7 million excluding VAT. The “Reil North-South 2023” consortium (comprising Global Construction AD and Evolution OOD) is completing the tunnel under a contract worth €51 million.

The Lozarevo 2023 Consortium (comprising Infrastructure Construction AD, Transstroy – Varna AD and Ingstroyingineering EOOD) is carrying out the work on the doubling and electrification of the Lozarevo – Prilep section. Here the contract is worth €49.7 million.

Translated with DeepL.