From today, July 18, at around 1:00 p.m., traffic in the "Praveshki Hanove" and "Topli Dol" tunnels on the "Hemus" motorway will be fully restored, dariknews.bg reported.
The two key facilities, which underwent major repairs, will provide a more comfortable, peaceful and safe journey to Northern Bulgaria during the active summer season.
The large-scale repair work began in November 2023, and on July 19 last year, work on the pipes in the direction of Varna was completed. In the fall of 2024, construction and installation work continued in the pipes for Sofia. With the reconstructions carried out, the tunnels now meet all European safety requirements.
The “Topli Dol“ tunnel, which has been in operation since 1985, and the “Praveshki Hanove“ tunnel, which was put into operation in the late 1990s, have not been fundamentally renovated so far.
The “Praveshki Hanove“ tunnel is located at the 54th kilometer of the “Hemus“ motorway. The length of the tube for Varna is 834 meters, and for Sofia - 830 meters. Both tunnel tubes have new lining, drainage, drainage and waterproofing system, as well as sidewalk blocks. The electrical installations, lighting and ventilation have been completely replaced. The seven cross-connections that connect the two tubes have also been fundamentally renovated. For greater safety, the tunnel has combined emergency niches equipped with hydrants, SOS telephones and fire extinguishers.
The “Topli Dol“ tunnel, located at the 39th kilometer of the motorway, is 883 meters long for the pipe towards Varna and 878 meters in the direction of Sofia. The rehabilitation of the facility includes a new waterproofing and drainage system, cladding and sidewalk blocks. The roadway and portal sections have been reconstructed, as well as the sidewalks in the pipe towards Varna have been expanded. To increase safety, two pedestrian evacuation cross-connections between the pipes have been built, intended for evacuation in the event of an accident. The repaired pipes have new asphalt concrete pavement, markings, vertical signaling, electrical installations, lighting and ventilation.
The “Topli Dol“ tunnel will be opened to traffic tomorrow with a temporary traffic organization and a speed limit of 50 km/h. In September, traffic in the Sofia tube will be restricted again to complete the construction work, and during this period vehicles will pass in both directions in the Varna tube.
The Road Infrastructure Agency calls on drivers to drive with increased caution and at a reasonable speed, to follow the rules and not to undertake risky overtaking that endanger the safety of other road users. The Agency also reminds drivers not to use emergency lanes on highways for faster movement in heavy traffic, as this prevents the passage of vehicles with a special regime in the event of an accident.
Source: dariknews.bg
The organization of traffic is changing in connection with the holding of a concert on July 21, 2025 at the National Stadium "Vasil Levski", the press center of Stolichna announced municipality, quoted by BTA.
From 8:00 a.m. on July 18, 2025 to 8:00 a.m. on July 21, 2025, on the pockets of “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi“ Blvd. opposite the fifth entrance (the barrier), parking and stopping of vehicles is prohibited.
From 8:00 p.m. on July 20 to 12:00 p.m. on July 21, parking is prohibited on the parking lots on the bridge in front of the “Vasil Levski“ National Stadium, on “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi“ Blvd.
From 3:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on July 21, 2025, parking and stopping of vehicles is prohibited outside the paid parking areas on “General Gurko“ Str. in the section between “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi“ Blvd. and “Lyuben Karavelov“ Str.
The concert of the band Guns N’ Roses will be held at the “Vasil Levski“ Stadium, on July 21, 2025. The date in Sofia is part of the band's tour in Europe and the Middle East in 2025. The tour started on May 23 and includes 24 dates. Guns N’ Roses will play for the first time in Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Lithuania and Luxembourg. In 2025, Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan will also play in our country, in Serbia, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Hungary and Austria.