site.btaMovement of Heavy Trucks to Be Restricted May 23-25

Measures are being implemented to restrict the movement of heavy goods vehicles in the country during the upcoming three-day weekend in observance of Bulgaria marking May 24, Day of Bulgarian Alphabet and Culture, said Traffic Police Inspector Georgi Milev. He told a news briefing Friday that over 700 police teams will be deployed on the ground, some of whom will be in plain clothes.

Temporary traffic restrictions begin Friday from 3 pm to 8 pm, limiting the movement of commercial vehicles over 12 tonnes on the busiest routes. These include the Trakia Motorway towards Burgas, the Hemus Motorway towards Varna up to the roundabout, and the Struma Motorway towards Blagoevgrad. Restrictions will also be introduced on Road I-1 on the section from the Simitli junction to the Kresna junction. On Road I-1, two lanes will be designated for traffic heading towards Greece and one lane for traffic heading towards Sofia.

On Saturday, May 23, restrictions will be in place from 9 am to 2 pm on the same sections of road, while on May 24 no restrictions will be imposed. On May 25, restrictions will be in place from 12 pm to 8 pm, but in the direction towards Sofia. Exceptions will apply to trucks carrying perishable foods and certain types of hazardous materials.

About 490,000 vehicles are expected to leave Sofia and head to destinations within the country. Heavy traffic is expected in the direction of Greece, despite the unfavourable weather forecast.

Starting Monday, the interactive map of traffic accidents on the Ministry of Interior's website has been restored and is now fully operational, the Department reported.