From Monday afternoon, 12 October, all traffic through the Topli Dol tunnel on the Hemus motorway will run both ways in the Varna-bound tube, the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) said. The change will let the agency finish the main repair of the Sofia-bound tube.

API says that around 18 December, in time for Christmas and New Year, cars will again use both tubes under safe conditions. Restrictions in the Sofia-bound tube will return around 11 January 2027. The agency expects building and installation work to end in April 2027.

The tunnel is at the 39th kilometre of the motorway. It opened in 1985 and has never had a major repair. The Varna-bound tube is 883 m long and the Sofia-bound tube is 878 m. The speed limit in the tunnel will be 50 km/h.

In the Sofia-bound tube, workers will finish the reinforcement, waterproofing and netting on the roof and walls. They will also work on the escape galleries and build pavement blocks. They will install lighting, power supply, ventilation, traffic lights, variable road signs, video surveillance, an audio control room and a fire alarm system. Workers will also shore up a landslide near the entrance of the Varna-bound tube.

The repair began in November 2023 in the Varna-bound tube and then moved to the Sofia-bound one. Two pedestrian cross passages link the tubes for escape in an emergency. They were built for greater safety and to meet EU rules. On 18 July 2025, API opened the Sofia-bound tube temporarily, with a speed limit, because of the busy summer season.

API says there is no detour in the area. It advises drivers to allow more time for the trip, to pick other roads if they can, to drive with care and to obey the restrictions. The emergency lanes must stay clear so that vehicles with special status can pass if there is an incident.