Two bridges on both sides of the “Small Tunnel“ in the Kresna Gorge are awaiting urgent repairs, and the main restoration of the facilities has not yet begun. Irregularities and holes are forming on the pavement, forcing drivers to bypass the damaged sections.
The problems are related to the construction of the bridges and are most pronounced in the linear expansion joints. “Literally in two months“ after replacing the asphalt working layer, the pavement again becomes “wrinkled“, explained road expert Ivan Katsarov.
In his words, the deformations are not only an inconvenience for travelers. “There is also a possibility of two cars being hit and a side impact“, said Katsarov and defined the repair as necessary for safety reasons.
The bridges were partially closed in May
The need to repair the two facilities was discussed back in May, when the bridges were partially closed for almost a month. In order to redirect traffic during their reinforcement, the bypass road in the area of the “Small Tunnel“ was completely repaired in the summer.
A few months later, the bypass was prepared, but the actual repair has not begun. The “Road Infrastructure“ Agency announced that a public tender for the selection of a contractor for the emergency restoration of the bridges is about to be announced.
The funds will be provided from the agency's budget. However, the RIA has not specified a deadline for the start of the repairs.
Until the procedures are completed, the two bridges remain part of the only route in the area along which traffic to Greece passes daily.
Sources: bntnews.bg