Over 700 police teams have been deployed to monitor road traffic over the long weekend to ensure the safety of travelers, given the expected heavy traffic due to the consecutive holidays. Chief Inspector Lachezar Bliznakov from the Road Police Department at the General Directorate of National Police explained at a briefing that the measures were necessary due to the expected significant increase in traffic volume.
The main hotspots where heavy traffic is expected include the Trakia motorway and the route towards the Republic of Greece, specifically in the areas around the Kresna Gorge and the town of Simitli. To prevent traffic jams, Chief Inspector Bliznakov provided the following instructions and clarifications:
- Reversible traffic flow has been organized in the Simitli area – today, two lanes are designated for travel toward Greece, and on Monday, the arrangement will be reversed to ensure maximum capacity for those returning to the interior of the country.
- Drivers are urged to use the alternative route through Gotse Delchev and Ilinden, where traffic intensity is significantly lower.
- Drivers are encouraged to fully utilize both lanes during the reversible traffic flow in the Simitli area to help clear congestion in the Kresna Gorge. We do not have precise data on the expected traffic volume – such information can be provided by the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) – but we certainly expect the return to the major cities on Monday to be quite intense.
Restrictions on heavy goods vehicles are also being introduced to ease road conditions. The ban takes effect today, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, on motorways. The restriction will also be in effect tomorrow morning, as well as on Monday, when trucks will be prohibited from traveling on the three motorways and in the Kresna Gorge area. On Friday and Saturday, the focus of the restrictions is on the direction toward the seaside, while on Monday, the restriction applies to traffic in the opposite direction.
Chief Inspector Bliznakov noted that over the past summer months, traffic has been relatively calm and steady, without major congestion during peak hours and without the typical Friday and Sunday incidents that in the past necessitated prolonged motorway closures. He added that unmarked police vehicles will also be patrolling all major routes.
Special attention is also being paid to cooperation with the National Toll Administration. Thanks to the coordination established over the past month, the monitoring of foreign drivers has been significantly improved. As a result, over the last month alone, more than 1,200 electronic tickets for speeding have been issued and collected, totaling over 50,000 euros.