A new organization of traffic through the "Topli Dol" tunnel on the "Hemus" motorway comes into force on October 12. All vehicles will pass in both directions in the pipe to Varna, while the main repair of the pipe to Sofia continues. The speed in the zone will be limited to 50 km/h, and the emergency lane will not be used for traffic.
Agency "Road Infrastructure" points out that there is no detour route in the area and calls on drivers to plan their journey in advance.
„Drivers should allow more time for travel, use alternative routes if possible and comply with the introduced restrictions“,warns the RIA.
It is expected that around December 18, for the period of Christmas and New Year's trips, traffic will be temporarily restored in both tubes. After around January 11, 2027, the restriction in the tube to Sofia should be reintroduced. The estimated deadline for the full completion of the construction and installation works is April 2027.
Traffic at the borders
According to the General Directorate of the „Border Police“, traffic with Romania is normal at all points. The ferry connections Oryahovo-Beket and Svishtov-Zimnich remain suspended due to the low level of the Danube.
Traffic is also normal at the points with Greece, Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia. Passenger cars and minibuses up to 3.5 tons pass through “Rudozem“, “Zlatograd“, “Makaza“ and “Ivaylovgrad“. Buses and trucks also pass through “Kulata“, “Ilinden“ and “Kapitan Petko Voivoda“. The only heavy traffic reported is at the “Kapitan Andreevo“ border checkpoint at the exit for trucks.
Summary from the Traffic Police and the Fire Department
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports 18 road accidents with injuries and fatalities for October 8. Five people died and 24 were injured. Since the beginning of October, accidents with injuries and fatalities have been 175, the victims are 17, and the injured - 217. Since the beginning of the year, 5,340 such accidents have been reported, 386 died and 6,618 were injured.
The General Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection reports 197 accident reports in one day. 157 fires have been extinguished, of which 16 with direct material damage. One citizen was injured in the fires. Firefighters have also carried out 30 rescue and relief operations, including four at accidents.
Conditions for tourism in the mountains
In the Bansko region, the forecast is for warm weather with variable cloudiness and possible afternoon rainfall and thunderstorms. A similar change is expected in the Sofia region, with the higher parts possibly being windier and with faster deterioration of the weather.
The Mountain Rescue Service has the latest published regional observations from October 1. There is no current information on avalanche conditions for Vitosha, Rila and Pirin on its website, which is why tourists must comply with the conditions on the specific route and the change in weather in the highlands.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, bntnews.bg, utroruse.com