PHOTO | TRACE, Bulgaria’s major infrastructure company, increasing pace on Lot 2 of the Ploiesti – Buzau Motorway

Romania’s road infrastructure has been given a major boost by the allocation of budgetary as well as European funds. Together with the projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, once completed, they will all have the gift of not only uniting the historic provinces but more importantly contributing to the economic development of the areas and counties crossed. Like a giant puzzle, each contractor designated as the winner of the bids aligns with the project so that the final result is as expected.

CITEȘTE AICI VARIANTA ÎN LIMBA ROMÂNĂ

The Bulgarian company Trace, with its 25 years of experience of constructing transport infrastructure, working on the Balkans internationally for more than 10 years, and being listed on the Sofia Stock Exchange since 2007, is also working along these lines and, on 15 March 2022, it was designated the winner on Lot 2 of the Ploiesti-Buzău highway, part of the Motorway of Moldova, as a joint-venture leader together with the Romanians from Coni. On 7 June 2022 the contract was signed, and the work order was issued on 11 August.

The 28.35 km long lot includes the construction of 20 bridges and passages. According to the specifications, the works will take 20 months to complete, and the guarantee covers 10 years.

Trace, leader in the infrastructure construction sector

Trace Company – full designation Trage Group Hold PLC – is a leader in transport infrastructure in Bulgaria. The company has participated in the implementation of major projects such as the Thrace Motorway or A1 (Sofia – Plovdiv – Burgas, 360 km, already in use) and Hemus or A2 (Sofia – Varna, 418 km, of which almost 180 km are in use).

Trace also successfully completed two sections of the international transport corridor 10 in the Republic of Serbia.

The Trace holding companies are also successfully implementing the expansion of the road network and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of urban infrastructure. The company has the resources to maintain a system of traffic organization, such as horizontal and vertical markings.
Trace is one of the first construction companies in Bulgaria to apply the „cold in-place recycling” method, which involves the reuse of concrete, with positive effects especially in terms of pollutant emissions and compliance with completion dates. To apply this method, the company uses the most modern machinery and various technologies, both traditional and innovative.

As a phase prior to asphalt paving, stabilization is an enormous advantage in modern road construction as it offers quality, durability, fast performance, reduced construction operations and reduced emissions. At the same time, Trace is one of the first companies in Bulgaria to apply this method to both domestic and foreign works.

Involvement in railway infrastructure

But road infrastructure is not the only activity of Trace holding. Concurrently, the holding has successfully developed the construction of railway infrastructure. The company specializes in railway substructure and superstructure activities – rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of new railway infrastructure using the mechanized method; dismantling and installation of rails using the mechanized method; earthworks, excavation, modification, and reconstruction of land with modern technologies and methods with high-tech equipment, restructuring and rebuilding of stations and bus stops.

Trage Group Hold PLC is executing the Plovdiv railway station modernization project as well as rehabilitation works in Serbia on 23 kilometers of railway track from Nis to Brestovac. This project is worth almost €60 million. European Commission President Ursula von den Leyen and Serbian President Alexander Vucic took part in the ceremonies. Furhter on Trace initiated works on 80 km Nis-Dimitrovgrad full rehabilation railway project to be complered within two years funded by the European Investment Bank.

Trace built 11 stations on Sofia metro

Underground constructions are another area in which Trace Group Hold PLC performs. The company is actively involved in the construction and development of the Sofia subway network since 2006 for what has been the most successful and game-channging project of Bulgarian infrastructure since the 90s of the last century.

With 11 completed stations along with the connecting tunneling and railway, currently, the company participates in the construction in the ongoing three ones which are completed arrow 3 of the Sofia Metro. The extension of the subway network in the capital of Bulgaria is performed through the Transport Operational Program.

Experience in the building and maintenance of airports

Trace Group Hold PLC is actively involved in the construction and maintenance of civil and military airports. In 2001, the company simultaneously designed and built the Graf Ignatievo military airport in just three months. The success was due to the use of new technologies, such as the production of poly-modified bitumen and the application of a modified polymerized asphalt concrete, the dispersion of geosynthetic materials and a state-of-the-art lighting system.

The company has also signed a contract for feasibility studies, design, implementation of an innovative working system, reconstruction, restructuring, general and emergency repairs and other necessary works at Sofia Airport from 2012-to this day in varous contacting formats.

Involvement in water and environment projects

Trace Group Hold PLC has a solid experience in water supply and sewerage projects as well as in the environmental area. In the water sector, it is currently executing works in Stara Zagora and Sofia.

The holding company focuses mainly on projects of rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of new water supply and sewerage networks and facilities, which in turn improve people’s lives. In recent years, „Trace Group Hold” PLC has expanded its activity in the environmental sector and focuses on the implementation of projects in the field of waste management and soil protection – facilities for the disposal of household waste, construction of regional storage sites, construction of pre-treatment facilities, including composting, sorting and separation of waste. The exploitation has the capacity to work on climate change adaptation, risk prevention and risk management.

The Holding participates in the construction of sites under the Operational Programme „Environment” and the Operational Programme „Regional Development”.

Other activities

The company is also active in building and plant construction. It has a team specializing in public, industrial, commercial, and residential construction. At the same time, Trace Group Hold PLC subsidiaries have the capacity to build hotel complexes, industrial halls, administrative buildings.

At the same time, the company has a vast experience in designing and implementing measures to stop landslides, consolidation and stabilization of banks – dams, constructions on pillars, anchors.

At the same time, Trace Group Hold PLC also deals with road maintenance.

When will Lot 2, Mizil-Pietroasele, of the Ploiesti – Buzău motorway, part of the A7, be ready?

According to Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu, Lot 2 built by the Bulgarians from Trace should be ready next year. Moreover, in 2024 „transport” has set itself an ambitious goal – the opening of some 200 km of high-speed road (motorway and expressway).