A line of trucks 18 kilometres long is blocking the Maritsa motorway between Svilengrad and the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing. Hundreds of drivers have been waiting for hours, and traffic toward the border with Turkey is badly held up.
In the past 24 hours, 710 trucks have crossed into Turkey. Border officials say that's the most Bulgaria can process, and the crossing is now working at full stretch.
Staff at the border keep working without a break, but more trucks keep arriving than they can handle. The jam has built up because trade traffic has jumped sharply in the past few days, and every new truck makes the queue longer.
The traffic police at the regional police directorate (ODMVR) in Haskovo have sent extra patrols to the area. Officers are directing traffic on the spot to keep cars safe and stop them hitting the back of stopped trucks. Police say there's a real risk of serious crashes at the end of the queue, which is why they've taken these urgent steps.