Struma motorway

Template: Infobox trunk road / Maintenance / BG -A

Oblasts:

• Sofia City
• Sofia (Region)
• Pernik
• Kyustendil
• Blagojewgrad

The Awtomagistrala " goiter " or Awtomagistrala A3 ( Bulgarian Автомагистрала A3 " Струма " / Awtomagistrala A3 " goiter ") is a partially completed highway in Bulgaria. It begins at the motorway junction Dragitschewo in Pernik, where the coming of Sofia Awtomagistrala " Lyulin " (A6) ends. The Awtomagistrala " Struma " then runs to the south and ends at the Greek border at Kulata. The highway is named after the Struma River, on which it runs along.

After its completion, it will be the most expensive highway ever built in the European Union. The project construction costs amount to at least 1 billion euros.

Costs and expanding state

The length of the future highway should be about 156 kilometers. She is also part of the European Route 79 and the Pan-European Transport Corridor IV, which will connect the Aegean Sea with the Danube and the Danube Bridge 2. Furthermore, to be built by the A6 a direct connection from Sofia via Thessaloniki to Athens.

Since 17 December 2010, the motorway junction Dragitschewo is in operation.

The problem for conservation reasons ( it should have large conservation areas in the Natura 2000 to be crossed ) and because of the difficult geography of the route in the Kresna Gorge of the Struma River. After the last project variant, the gorge is to be bypassed by a 13 km long tunnel, which would make him the longest road tunnel on the Balkan Peninsula. The cost of construction is estimated at 940 million euros. With the start of construction is expected in 2015.

Current Condition

36 km are currently completed, directly from the motorway junction Dragitschewo as a continuation of the A5 to Dupniza. There is building work between Sandanski and Koulata since April 2012.