A kilometer-long traffic jam blocked traffic on the "Hemus" highway on Friday evening. The situation was the worst in the direction of Varna, where the column began even before Botevgrad, and drivers reported that 35 kilometers were covered in about two and a half hours.
The serious difficulties were reported around 16:00. By 20:28 traffic remained difficult in both directions, with the journey towards Varna being slower. One of the drivers described the situation with the words: “35 km are covered in 2 hours and 30 minutes“.
At around 10:00 p.m., the traffic jam had not yet disappeared. According to data from the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency, quoted by BTV, the average speed in the area of the “Topli Dol“ tunnel was 27 km/h. Drivers reported that the convoy continued to move slowly, and the slowdown began even before Botevgrad.
Repairs reduce the capacity of the highway
The main reason is the repair of the “Topli Dol“ tunnel. Since October 12, the tube in the direction of Sofia has been closed, and all vehicles pass through the tube in both directions to Varna at a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h. There is no bypass route in the area.
In the closed pipe, reinforcement, waterproofing and networks on the vault and walls are being carried out. Installation of lighting, ventilation systems, video surveillance and a fire alarm system is also planned. The limited capacity of the route has combined with the intense traffic at the end of the working week.
When is relief expected
API plans to temporarily restore traffic in both pipes around December 18 due to the expected travel around Christmas and New Year. After that, repairs in the pipe to Sofia should continue in January 2027.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, nova.bg, focus-news.net