The road conditions in the country are complicated by repairs, temporary traffic organization and restrictions on main highways and roads. The most serious difficulties are expected for trucks at the border crossings "Kapitan Andreevo" and "Lesovo" due to a protest on Turkish territory. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that passenger cars and buses are not expected to be affected.
According to data presented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, 418 trucks were processed at the exit and none at the entrance through "Kapitan Andreevo" for the specified period. Over the past 24 hours, 1,304 trucks have passed through the checkpoint, of which 1,025 are headed to Turkey.
Highway restrictions
On the “Hemus“ motorway, traffic in the direction of Sofia through the “Topli Dol“ tunnel is bidirectional through the tube to Varna. The maximum permissible height is 4.50 meters, and the width is 3.75 meters. In the Shumen region, between the 350th and 363rd kilometers, traffic has also been transferred bidirectionally to the lane to Varna.
On Friday, between 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM, the movement of trucks over 12 tons from Sofia to Botevgrad is restricted. For heavy goods vehicles traveling to Vratsa, Montana and Vidin, a detour through the “Petrohan“ pass is planned. RIA warns that passing through the Iskar Gorge is not recommended due to sections with single-lane traffic and activities to strengthen rock slopes.
On the “Trakia“ motorway, the speed is limited to 100 km/h in sections between the 33rd and 39th kilometers in the direction of Burgas, as well as in the Stara Zagora region. There are also restrictions to 100 km/h between the 55th and 59th kilometers in the direction of Sofia. On the “Maritsa“ motorway to “Kapitan Andreevo“ Traffic is in one lane in three sections between the 66th and 111th kilometer, with a speed of up to 50 km/h or 70 km/h depending on the specific section.
On the Struma Motorway in the direction of Sofia, work is being carried out on embankments, with the outer active lane being limited at certain times. In the area of the Zheleznitsa tunnel, a temporary organization has been introduced for repairs to the fire alarm system and the thermal camera. “Drivers should drive with increased caution and at a reasonable speed”, the RIA states.
Danube Bridge and the Vratsa-Mezdra and Botevgrad-Sofia roads
On the Danube Bridge near Ruse, traffic is carried out in two directions in one lane, with cars being allowed to pass at intervals of 20 minutes for each direction. The restriction is related to the installation of drainage facilities. The bridge's major repairs should be completed by December 3. The ferry lines Oryahovo-Beket and Svishtov-Zimnich remain temporarily suspended due to the low level of the Danube.
Repairs continue on the Vratsa-Mezdra road, where traffic is in one lane. The section between Botevgrad and Sofia is closed to all vehicles at the emergency anchor wall. The detour is along the “Hemus“ motorway.
Conditions in the mountains and data from the fire department and traffic police
Precipitation is expected in the mountains, which above 1500-1700 meters turns into snow. The main affected areas are Stara Planina, Vitosha, Rila and Pirin. The high and open areas have complicated conditions for tourism, and the temperatures are around 6 degrees at 1200 meters and around zero at 2000 meters.
The General Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection reports 83 accident reports per day. 50 fires have been extinguished, 15 of them with direct material damage. 32 rescue and relief operations have been carried out, and one citizen was injured in the fires.
According to data from the Ministry of Interior, 13 serious road accidents were registered for October 27. Two people died and 16 were injured. One serious and 29 minor accidents were reported in Sofia, in which one person was injured.
API already maintains an interactive platform in which data on repairs, restrictions, road accidents, traffic and weather conditions are published. The information is updated every 15 minutes and can be used when planning a route.