The situation on the roads, borders and mountain ranges in the country remains dynamic. Serious traffic challenges and urgent safety measures mark the beginning of the hot weekend.
A large fire paralyzes the "Trakia" motorway
A large-scale fire near the 69th kilometer of the "Trakia" motorway to the Velingrad and Tserovo exit caused kilometer-long traffic jams. Firefighters from several districts, heavy equipment and "Cougar" helicopters of the Air Force were involved in controlling the fire. Passing through the affected section took hours, with traffic in the direction of Sofia being allowed to resume late in the evening. The Road Infrastructure Agency (API) temporarily restricted traffic for trucks over 12 tons. Drivers were being redirected along the Sub-Balkan Road. The source of traffic organization data is the official API website (www.api.bg).
API's emergency measures and restrictions
Due to the expected extremely high temperatures above 35°C, API is introducing phased suspensions of heavy-duty traffic. Trucks over 20 tons are not allowed to move along key road arteries between 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in order to prevent deformations on the asphalt. In the Sofia region, on the Trakia Motorway roadside vegetation is being removed, which additionally requires narrowing the lanes (www.api.bg). On the Struma Motorway in the Kyustendil region, the overtaking or emergency lane is closed daily until 3:00 p.m. for the same reason (www.bta.bg).
Traffic at the country's borders
Traffic at the border checkpoints is intense and heavily loaded. The biggest delays are at the Bulgarian-Turkish border at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint and the Bulgarian-Serbian border at the Kalotina border checkpoint due to the mass return of guest workers. Columns of trucks are observed at the Bulgarian-Romanian border (Danube Bridge Ruse and Vidin). Information about the queues is updated in real time by the Main Directorate “Border Police“ of the Ministry of Interior (www.mvr.bg).
Reports from the Fire Department and Traffic Police: Black Statistics
For the past 24 hours, the Traffic Police reports heavy statistics. 20 serious accidents have been registered in the country, in which 21 people were injured. The Traffic Police of Razgrad emphasize that the main cause of the incidents remains distraction behind the wheel. Main Directorate “Fire Safety and Protection of the Population“ reported dealing with over 150 fires in the last 24 hours in the country, including an incident on the main Sofia-Varna road near the village of Momin Sbor, where a car caught fire after an accident.
Conditions for tourism in the mountains
The Mountain Rescue Service (PSS) informed that the conditions for tourism in the morning hours are good, but the weather is unsuitable for hiking in the afternoon hours due to the extreme heat. Temperatures in the higher parts exceed 25°C. Tourists are advised to leave early, carry large amounts of water and avoid open ridges after noon due to the risk of heatstroke and sudden thunderstorms. Information about lifts and huts can be found on the official PSS portal (www.pss-bg.bg).