Ivan Shishkov, the regional development and public works minister, said his ministry is drawing up terms of reference for the design and building of a smart traffic system on the Trakia motorway. He spoke during question time at the relevant parliamentary committee.

The session opened with a minute's silence for the victims of two pile-ups near the Zimnitsa junction the day before. The minister offered his condolences to the families of those who died.

Once the terms are ready, the design and building of the system will be commissioned.

"If we are more specific, you will see that this is in the 2027 budget, which was submitted before yesterday's tragic crash," the minister said. "In other words, this is an exceptional priority," he added.

An earlier project for such a system began in late 2016 under the 2014-2020 Transport and Transport Infrastructure operational programme. The contracts, signed in 2018 and 2020, were worth more than €3.57m (more than 7m leva).

Police closed the motorway in the lane towards Sofia after the pile-up in the Yambol area, where there was fog. Drivers from Burgas took a detour via Karnobat and Petolachkata, we reported on 11 November.

The two sides ended the contract by mutual consent in April 2022. Shishkov believes the system was not finished and handed over on time, and that the money is in effect lost.