The road conditions in the country remain dynamic this morning, September 24. Repair work continues in places, there are temporary restrictions, and the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency introduces changes in the organization of traffic.
Drivers should be especially careful on sections under repair, as well as when passing through mountain passes.
New restriction near Blagoevgrad
One of the changes planned for today is on road I-1 in the Blagoevgrad region.
Between 8:00 and 21:00 at kilometer 366, maintenance and replacement of cameras will be carried out. Traffic will be organized in two directions in the free lane and will be regulated by road signs.
API warns drivers to drive with increased caution in the section.
Repairs on the main directions
Repairs continue on a number of roads in the republican network.
On the Byala - Pleven road, traffic in the section from 0 to 7 kilometers is carried out in stages in one lane due to repairs to the asphalt pavement. Traffic is regulated by signalmen, road signs and traffic lights.
On the Byala - Pleven direction Polsko Kosovo also has repair activities, with a speed limit of 40 km/h introduced.
In the area of Polski Trambesh and Polikraishte, there are sections with single-lane traffic due to various construction and technical activities.
On the „Maritsa“ motorway, the repair of expansion joints on bridge structures in the direction of the „Kapitan Andreevo“ border checkpoint continues. In some sections, traffic is carried out in only one lane, and the speed is limited to 50 km/h.
The passes
Several mountain passes remain with restrictions.
„Vrbishki“, „Dyulinski“, „Zlatishki“ and “Pamporovo“ are closed to traffic.
There are restrictions for heavy goods vehicles through “Vratnik“ and “Tvardishki“.
On “Petrohan“ the movement of vehicles over 12 tons, as well as vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers, is prohibited. There are also restrictions for certain heavy goods vehicles through “Aitoski“ and “Shipka“.
The remaining main crossings are passable under the temporary organization introduced.
Traffic along the borders
As of the early hours of September 24, there was no information about widespread blocking of border traffic.
However, at the border with Turkey, the situation is different at individual points. Data for the early hours show relatively calm passage through “Kapitan Andreevo“, while at “Lesovo“ the wait is longer.
At “Malko Tarnovo“ also has a load, but significantly less than that of “Lesovo“.
Traffic through the border crossings can change significantly with the onset of the morning hours and the increase in travel.
With Greece, traffic at the main crossings remains normal according to the latest available information.
Serious accidents: five died in just two accidents yesterday
September 23 was a difficult day for Bulgarian roads.
The morning official statistics of the Ministry of Interior reported 15 serious accidents and 18 injuries for the previous 24 hours. However, these figures do not include accidents that occurred later on September 23.
In two of the serious accidents that occurred yesterday alone, a total of five people died.
Near Maglizh, three people died in a collision between two cars. Among the victims are the two drivers and an 84-year-old woman.
Near Kotel, two people died in a head-on collision between two cars. An injured woman was transported by medical helicopter to hospital, while another person was trapped in a car and a rescue operation was required.
There were other accidents, including a crash near Mramoren, in which three people were injured.
Fire department: over 150 fires in the last 24 hours
The latest confirmed 24-hour report of the General Directorate “Fire Safety and Population Protection“ 154 fires reported in the country.
Fire crews responded to 189 reports of accidents, with one person injured in one of the fires.
In Sofia, for the period from September 22 to 23 in the morning, the fire department responded to 15 reports, with 13 fires extinguished. There were no deaths or injuries in the capital's fires during this period.
The large fire near Pesnopoi is under control
Among the more serious fires in recent hours was the one in the villa area “Otdih“ near the villages of Pesnopoi and Mikhiltsi.
The fire is under control, but firefighters continue to work on individual local outbreaks. Six fire brigade teams and police officers remained on site overnight.
Some of the villa owners were not allowed back into the area, and about 15 people were provided with accommodation in hotels in Hisarya.
The final area of the affected area and the amount of material damage are yet to be specified.
What are the conditions for tourism in the mountains?
The conditions for tourism today should be monitored carefully due to the expected change in weather.
In the morning hours, conditions in many areas are relatively good, but during the day, increasing cloudiness, stronger winds and precipitation in places are expected.
Tourists should check the forecast immediately before departure and adapt the route to their physical fitness and weather.
For longer journeys, it is important to keep in mind that temperatures and wind in the highlands can change significantly during the day.
What drivers should keep in mind
The main recommendations for drivers this morning remain standard, but especially important in the dynamic traffic situation:
to respect speed limits;
to maintain sufficient distance;
to monitor temporary signaling during repairs;
to avoid sudden maneuvers in single-lane sections;
to allow additional time when traveling to border crossings;
when passing through passes, follow the current restrictions.
The road situation, border traffic, fire statistics and accident data are subject to update with the publication of the new morning reports of the RIA, the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior.
Sources: RIA, the Ministry of Interior, the Mountain Rescue Service