The road between Smolyan and Pamporovo remains at risk before the winter season, after a landslide tore off about 300 meters of the route nearly six months ago. Tourist access to the resort is possible, but the temporary emergency road above the landslide may prove unusable in case of snow, icing and prolonged rainfall.
Hoteliers insist on urgent rehabilitation of the gravel section. In its current form, it has no asphalt, ditches and drainage systems. “In its current state, this road is impossible to use during the winter months. It is not asphalted. This is a forest road that has been graveled,“ Stefan Prisadov, executive director of “Pamporovo“ AD, told bTV.
According to him, after several consecutive days of rain, the operation of the route becomes impossible. In winter conditions, snow and icing can block traffic, which will make deliveries to hotels, restaurants and other facilities in the resort more difficult.
Decline in accommodation and higher costs
“Pamporovo“ AD reports a 12-14% drop in accommodation during the summer season compared to the previous year. Prisadov links the result to the uncertainty of tourists and the information about the possibilities for access to the resort.
The detour routes through Stoykite and Rozhen extend the trip to Smolyan by about 20 kilometers in one direction. This increases the costs of suppliers and staff, and according to hoteliers, it can also lead to higher prices for overnight stays in the winter. The resort predicts an additional increase in prices due to increased fuel prices.
„It is clear that it must be asphalted if its operation is planned during the winter months. Otherwise, it cannot be maintained, cleaned, sanded, salted“, said Prisadov.
The bridge project is in public procurement
The permanent solution should be a 108-meter bridge over the landslide. The „Road Infrastructure“ Agency has announced a public procurement for design and construction, the estimated value of which is about 9 million euros. Bids can be submitted until October 26, 2026.
„The landslide investigation is being monitored around the clock. It is currently in the so-called „calm and quiet“, said the regional governor of Smolyan, Georgi Pepelanov. He pointed out that it is not yet clear when the bridge will be built.
The municipality of Smolyan has announced its readiness to asphalt the gravel section of the temporary emergency road. Mayor Nikolay Melemov indicated that it is necessary to specify the organization of traffic and allowed an option with one-way passage on a schedule. A decision on the asphalting and the passage regime is expected by the end of the week.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, bta.bg