After nine-month talks the European Commission cleared a EUR 157 million funding for the construction of the second arc of the Sofia underground railways, said Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The stretch linking Nadezhda quarter and Cherni Vrah Boulevard is worth EUR 247 million, with the balance due to come from the state and the Sofia municipality.

The new extension, scheduled for completion in mid-2012, will give residents of Nadezhda, Moderno Predgradie and Tolstoi a seven-minute ride to city’s centre, Borissov added. The construction of the second metro diameter will create 3,000 jobs and will employ local materials. The premier is hopeful other infrastructure projects will be fast-tracked once Brussels restores its faith in Bulgaria.