site.btaEnvironmental Procedures Delay Shipka Tunnel Construction, Says Regional Development Minister

Environmental procedures remain the main obstacle to launching the construction and design of the tunnel under Mount Shipka, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov said during Question Time in Parliament on Friday.

Ivanov refrained from committing to a specific timeline for the start of the tunnel's construction, explaining that ongoing difficulties in completing the necessary environmental steps are holding the project back.

Negotiations are still underway with various environmental organizations in an effort to reach an agreement on how to finalize the procedures, Ivanov said. He notes that a major challenge is the requirement that Bulgarka National Park, which includes Shipka Peak, must have an approved management plan as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project. Currently, no such plan exists because of objections, delays, and ongoing legal actions from environmental groups.

In early April, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev told Parliament that the government plans to restart the Shipka tunnel project and its related infrastructure, stressing that the facility is of national importance.