New Sofia Metro Built as Earthquake Shelter
Environment | August 27, 2012, Monday // 09:19| viewsBy mid-2014, with all new expansions, it is expected that Sofia's subway will be used by nearly half million passengers each day. Photo by BGNES
The stations of the Sofia subway are built to sustain earthquakes up to a 9-point magnitude on the Richter scale and can be used as quake shelters for residents and visitors of the Bulgarian capital.
The information was reported by Standard daily, citing engineer Boyan Delchev, manager of the Metro Trace company, a subcontractor for the project.
The second line of the subway in Sofia will be officially launched on August 31, in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso. It is anticipated by all in the city because it will reduce traffic congestions, air pollution and save time.
Delchev says the stations near the National Palace of Culture, NDK, and the Hemus hotel have been designed as early as the time of the Communist regime. They included nuclear bomb shelters for the Communist party leaders with hermetically closing doors. The shelters have been demolished to open way for the subway tunnel. The last stop on "James Bourchier" boulevard is the deepest in Sofia, while the tunnel between the Hemus hotel and the "James Bourchier" station is 25-meters underground.
In addition to earthquake safety, the subway boasts maximum security with all anti-terrorism measures in place and with cameras monitoring every inch of the tracks and all stations, Delchev says.
The new stations will also have parking lots with hundreds of parking spaces.
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