Road conditions: Traffic jams at the borders and storms in the mountains
Heat, heavy traffic on Saturday and urgent inspections by the Ministry of Interior and the National Revenue Agency mark the day
Sofia, August 8, 2026 – The morning hours of today's Saturday brought the traditional for the season serious traffic congestion on the main roads in the country. Drivers heading to the Black Sea coast and neighboring southern countries are facing increased traffic, temporary repairs and increased control by the Traffic Police and fiscal authorities. Here is the full summary as of 8:22:
Traffic Police Summary: Accidents and Violators During the Day
The Traffic Police reports a dynamic day on the republican roads. According to data from the Ministry of Interior (mvr.bg/press), in the past 24 hours, 24 serious road accidents have been registered across the country. Incidents are 29 people injured and unfortunately 1 person lost his life.
Restrictions: Traffic is temporarily restricted on road II-21 Silistra – Ruse in the Tutrakan area due to a serious traffic accident, with traffic being redirected through the city street network (api.bg). Control: The traffic police teams remain deployed along AM “Thrakia“, AM “Hemus“ and the Struma Motorway, monitoring for speeding and unregulated traffic in the emergency lanes.
API measures and repairs on the highways
The “Road Infrastructure“ Agency (api.bg) appeals for increased attention and reasonable speed. Important highlights for the day include:
AM “Thrace“: Traffic in tunnel “Trajan's Gate“ in the direction of Burgas is carried out only in one (active) lane due to lighting repairs. Restrictions for TIRs: The RIA reminds that in order to ease traffic, restrictions will be introduced on the movement of heavy goods vehicles over 12 tons on key routes on Sunday (August 9).
Fire Department Summary: Dozens of Signals per Day
Over the past 24 hours, the teams of the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection have responded to 118 accident reports. Firefighters managed to extinguish a total of 86 fires, most of which were dry grass and stubble caused by high summer temperatures. The main focus remains the prevention of local expansion near forest areas and settlements.
Border traffic and joint action
At the border crossings, the situation is extremely busy at the exit from the country. Data from the General Directorate of the “Border Police“ indicate:
GCP “The Tower“ and the Makaza Border Crossing Point: Heavy traffic and columns of cars formed in the direction of Greece. GCP “Kapitan Andreevo“: Increased traffic at the exit to Turkey. Fiscal Control: The National Revenue Agency (NRA) and “Border Police“ are conducting a large-scale joint operation on the borders with Greece and Romania (bta.bg). Increased checks are being carried out on trucks carrying goods with a high fiscal risk.
Mountain Rescue Service: Conditions for Tourism
According to the morning report of the Mountain Rescue Service (pss-bg.bg), the conditions for mountain tourism in the morning hours are good, but they pose risks in the later hours:
Weather: Morning temperatures range between 5 and 15 degrees. Around noon and in the afternoon, a strong development of cumulonimbus clouds with thunderstorms and local intense precipitation is expected in the mountain ranges of Western and Central Bulgaria. Tip from the MESS: Rescuers advise tourists to plan their hikes so that they have descended from the high ridges and exposed mountain ribs by noon at the latest, to avoid the danger of lightning.