New Sofia Renovation Plan Raises Turmoil

More car lines on the roads in the center of Sofia, a boat ride along the Perlovska River, as well as sport and recreational sites in one of the locations in the capital with most dust particles in Europe are among the key priorities of the project for renovation of Sofia's city center.

The announcements were stated in bTV news Tuesday morning.

The most serious criticism has been directed towards the plan for expanding Sofia rod traffic in the center of town by 50%, as stated by Architect Boris Enev.

''Instead of looking for strategies to detract cars from the city center, we are inviting them in,'' Enev said.

He added that it seems unreasonable for the municipality to build recreational facilities close to the location in the capital with dirties air.

Meanwhile, the idea that the Perlovska River should be used for boat rides seems absurd as the smell over the warmer months is almost intolerable. It is caused by the fact that waste waters from Sofia neighborhoods located close to Vitosha mountain are often leaked to the river, causing the unpleasant odor.

The 3D visualization of the project also involves the felding of old trees in close proximity to the road, so that it can be expanded. However, it will take years for the newly planted trees to grow and further cleanse the dirtiest air in Europe. 

A further problem with the project is also connected with a rotary to be situated right at the crossing between boulevards Graf Ignatiev and Evlogi Georgiev that has largely been deemed ineffective and unnecessary.

The public discussion of the project is planned to be executed at the Sofia Municipality over the course of the week. According to unconfirmed information the decision will be made by the end of the week as well...