site.btaRegional Minister Confirms New Hemus Motorway Section and Serbia Link to Open in September

A new 17 km stretch of the Hemus Motorway, as well as a high-speed link connecting Bulgaria to Serbia via the Europe Motorway, will open in September, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov said on Saturday in a national television interview.

Ivanov provided an update on the construction and rehabilitation of the country’s motorways, assuring that arrangements are in place to ensure smooth travel during the summer months, with all planned roadworks coordinated in advance with relevant stakeholders, including the transport and tourism sectors.

With the upcoming opening of the 17 km section of the Hemus Motorway, traffic to Pleven is expected to be rerouted and eased, Ivanov explained. He added that, should the current cabinet serve its full term, Hemus Motorway is projected to be fully completed by the end of 2029 or the beginning of 2030. According to him, all processes are progressing rapidly, with full approval of the technical documentation under way.

Regarding the Hemus Motorway, Ivanov noted that the Praveshki Hanove tunnel is fully ready and is set to open on July 18. The Topli Dol tunnel, meanwhile, is scheduled to be closed again briefly in the autumn for finishing works.

Ivanov also apologized for the inconvenience caused by the recent rehabilitation of over 40 km of the Trakia Motorway. “By the end of the summer season, traffic on the Trakia Motorway will flow without delays,” Ivanov added.

Turning to the Struma Motorway, Ivanov pointed out that resolving the problems in the section between Simitli and Kresna will require measures with different timelines. The procedure for a preliminary design for the motorway crossing through the Kresna Gorge and for building a bypass road around Kresna is considered a medium-term measure. Ivanov recalled that the Road Infrastructure Agency has reached agreements with environmental organizations to allow construction of the expressway.

He also explained the reasons behind congestion in the Kresna Gorge. According to Ivanov, the road was designed for 800 cars per hour but now sees 1,600 vehicles per hour. This means a large volume of traffic merges from the motorway onto a narrow two-lane road ending in a populated area, in this case the town of Kresna.

Ivanov further assured that the section of road between Botevgrad and Mezdra, which opened this week, will not be closed, despite such reports in the public domain. He said Lot 2 of the route has been fully completed, while Lot 1 is partially finished. Due to existing landslides along the route, a 3.5-km two-way detour will link the two lots in stages.

“The aim is to complete Lot 1 as quickly as possible,” he said.

Ivanov also provided information on the readiness to monitor driver behaviour on the roads via toll cameras. He reported that the toll cameras are now connected to the Ministry of Interior, the necessary interface is ready, and certification is pending along with final legislative changes to enable implementation.

Tests of the system revealed that, in just 12 hours, over 3,000 offences were recorded on Sofia’s Okolovrasten Road. In light of these results, Ivanov called on drivers to obey traffic rules. Offenders, he said, should be deterred.

Road speed and driver behaviour will be monitored by toll cameras positioned between portal frames several km apart, with locations determined by the Ministry of Interior and speed recorded between entry and exit points.

Regarding water supply regimes in Bulgarian towns and villages, Ivanov noted that these restrictions primarily impact smaller communities where water shortages or quality problems have been persistent.

He said the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, together with the Ministry of Environment and Water, is working on reallocating nearly BGN 1 billion from the Environment Programme to Water Utility Companies. These funds will be earmarked for upgrading water supply networks, sewer systems, treatment plants, and introducing advanced purification technologies for drinking water needs.

Ivanov recalled that replacing the entire national water supply network would require nearly BGN 33 billion. He also appealed to Bulgarian municipalities to review their projects within the investment programme and prioritize those for rehabilitating water supply infrastructure, which is under the responsibility of local authorities.

Ivanov is convinced of the need to build new dams in Bulgaria to address water shortages.

“New dams are needed and the process has already begun,” Ivanov said, adding that the Luda Yana Dam will be commissioned within two months, preliminary studies are under way for the Cherni Osam Dam to serve Pleven and Lovech, and construction of the Alexander Stamboliyski Dam, which is expected to have a larger capacity than the Yovkovtsi Dam, will begin next year.