Deputy Prime Minister and Transportation Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said that Bulgaria agreed to build its section of the railway connection near Kriva Palanka – Kustendil, and that the large tunnel under Osogovo Mountain will be built in five years.

According to the existing plan, the deadline was 5 years but it was clear it won’t be built in 15 years. Now, 5 years will actually mean 5 years. It’s not possible to pay 450 million EUR for 24 kilometers of track, or 560 million with its electrification, Nikoloski said in a Sitel TV interview. The initial plan called for Macedonia to build its section of the tunnel, without an obligation for Bulgaria to do the same. Nikoloski added that the needs of the business community in Macedonia point to the necessity to build a fast railroad track to the port of Solun.

In terms of road infrastructure, Nikoloski said thatthe road from Kumanovo to the border with Bulgaria will be put into service by the end of the year, greatly reducing travel times between Skopje and Sofia. The Deputy Prime Minister also opened the possibility of talking to Bulgaria about a railroad from Gevgelija through Strumica to Petric, that would link the two main north-south highways in the two countries.