Sofia Ring Road moves to expropriation: what lies ahead for property owners on the route between Buxton and the Struma motorway

The last unfinished section of the Sofia Ring Road – the south-western arc between Bratya Buxton Blvd. and the Struma motorway, crossing Tsar Boris III Blvd. – has moved from planning to expropriation. On 6 October 2026, Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov said the full zoning plan had now been approved and that a Council of Ministers decision on expropriating the land should be ready within one to two months. For owners along the route, this is when the process becomes real.

What has been approved so far

• 2023 – a detailed development plan (PUP) was approved for one part of the section, towards the Struma motorway. According to the minister in July 2026, neither expropriation nor design work followed.
• 17 September 2026 – the expert council of the Ministry of Regional Development approved the PUP for the remaining stretch of about 2 km between Tsar Boris III Blvd. and the Buxton area, which the minister called the most complex part of the ring road to build.
• 6 October 2026 – the plan was announced as fully approved, with expropriation procedures starting.

Separately, Sofia Municipality is expropriating 21 land plots and one building for road access to the future National Children's Hospital, which links to the ring road. According to the municipality in mid-September, the procedure was complete and compensation paid for 14 of them, with amounts for the remaining 7 still to be set.

When construction could start

The announced timeline is indicative. Minister Shishkov expects the road to be finished in about three years – roughly one year of design and two of construction. Design is expected to start by the end of 2026, and construction mid-2027 at the earliest, depending on expropriation, public tenders and possible appeals. No project cost or secured funding has been announced so far.

The Boyana interchange, partly closed to traffic for more than two years, will be addressed within the overall project; until then the restrictions remain.

How expropriation for state needs works

The ring road is part of the national road network, so expropriation follows the State Property Act (ZDS). The key rules:

• Only against prior, equivalent compensation. A property may be expropriated only if the state need cannot be met otherwise, and only once compensation has been set (Art. 32 ZDS).
• How the amount is set. Compensation is based on the property's permitted use before the PUP took effect and on market prices of comparable properties nearby, from actual registered transactions. The tax valuation – and the price the owner would like to get – do not decide it.
• Who decides. For projects of national importance, expropriation is by Council of Ministers decision (Art. 34a ZDS), which lists the properties, the compensation and the bank where it will be paid.
• Appeals. The decision can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court within 14 days of notification. Most disputes concern the amount; the court can appoint an independent expert valuation.
• When ownership passes. Expropriation is complete once the act is final and compensation has been paid (Art. 39 ZDS). Early possession is allowed only under strict conditions – including that the property is not the owner's only home.
• If nothing happens. If compensation is not paid, or works do not start within the statutory period (5 years for national projects), the owner can ask for the expropriation to be revoked.

Part of a property can also be expropriated. Then the key question is whether the remainder can still be used for its purpose – which directly affects its value.

What to do if your property is in the area

If you own property on the route: check with Sofia Municipality or the Chief Architect's office whether it falls within the approved PUP, follow the official notices, and keep records of anything that affects value – improvements, permits, lease agreements. If you disagree with the compensation, the appeal window is short.

If you are buying in Knyazhevo, Ovcha Kupel, Gorna Banya, Suhodol or Lyulin: before signing a preliminary contract, get a cadastral sketch and check whether the property is affected by the road PUP. This is part of the standard legal due diligence before buying. A property next to the future route will be better connected, but will also live through several years of construction – both should be reflected in the price.

This is the latest major infrastructure change in the capital, following the municipal transport and boulevards programme of up to €367 million.

This article is for information only and is not a substitute for specific legal advice.

If your property is on the route or you are considering a purchase in the area, call us or visit our office – we will check the property's status and talk through your options.