When Will the Highway for Romanians Driving to Greece Be Completed? Ruse-Biala Section Set for 2028

A major Bulgarian road project aimed at linking Ruse with Greece has received a revised timetable. Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Shishkov said the Ruse-Biala section of the Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway, including Biala’s bypass, should be completed by the end of 2028.

Shishkov made the announcement during an inspection near the village of Peichinovo in the Ruse region. He said the project is financed exclusively through European Union co-financing. A detailed development plan for the remaining route is expected to begin within 30 to 40 days, which officials hope will speed construction toward Veliko Tarnovo.

The minister also said approval is nearing completion for a major repair project on the Biala-Pleven road, commissioned in 2023. His stated goal is to complete the entire route from Ruse to Makaza. “This highway is Ruse-Makaza, and that is why I say it will be designed as a whole and built as a whole,” Shishkov said.

The Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway will stretch 132.84 kilometers across three main sections. The first, from Ruse to Biala, covers 40.14 kilometers and has a completed technical design, completed expropriation procedures and a construction permit. The 35.4-kilometer Biala bypass began construction in December 2023.

The final Biala-Veliko Tarnovo section will cover 57.2 kilometers. A public procurement process launched in March 2025 sought a contractor to design and build it, but the tender, valued at nearly 1.5 billion euros, was suspended in August because of irregularities in the bid-evaluation methodology. The Ruse-Biala section and bypass have a combined funding package of 525 million euros. An earlier target had called for that section to be completed by the end of 2029.

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This highway is Ruse-Makaza, and that is why I say it will be designed as a whole and built as a whole.