site.btaTwo More Bulgaria-Turkiye Border Crossings under Construction to Ease Traffic

Bulgaria currently has three border crossings with Turkiye, one of which, at Kapitan Andreevo/Kapikule, is heavily congested and regularly sees long queues. Therefore, construction of two more border passes is now underway to improve the flow of people and goods.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov discussed the matter Friday at the Global Transport Connectivity Forum 2025 in Istanbul. The event gathered ministers and government delegations from over 70 countries and was opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Karadjov emphasized that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, a key route for global trade, runs through Bulgaria. “Bulgaria needs to modernize its ports in order to become an integral part of this major transport corridor,” he said. “Alongside building new infrastructure, we are also focused on upgrading the existing one. With support from the World Bank, we will develop the Port of Varna through a public-private partnership. This will not only increase the port's capacity but also open the Middle Corridor through Bulgaria,” he added.

The Minister stressed that strong transport connectivity is critical in both peacetime and crisis, and that Bulgaria is making significant efforts to modernize and expand its infrastructure as part of its strategic role in the region.

Karadjov noted that the Transport Ministry has prepared a list of infrastructure projects in Bulgaria to be developed in cooperation with leading international financial institutions. Among the road projects on the list are the Black Sea Motorway, the Rila Motorway, and the construction of a tunnel under the Petrohan Pass (Northwest Bulgaria). In the rail transport sector, the list includes three tunnels through the Balkan Range and a doubling of the Plovdiv–Svilengrad railway track. Danube River ports are also included in the public-private partnership pipeline, he added.

During the forum, Karadjov held a bilateral meeting with Antonella Bassani, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, and talks with Transport Ministers Maja Vukicevic of Montenegro and Kamel al-Wazir of Egypt.