Highways in Bulgaria

Highways in Bulgaria are dual carriageways, grade separated with controlled-access, designed for high speeds. In 2012, legislation amendments defined two types of highways: motorways (Bulgarian: Aвтомагистрала, Avtomagistrala) and expressways (Bulgarian: Скоростен път, Skorosten pat). The main differences are that motorways have emergency lanes and the maximum allowed speed limit is 140 km/h (87 mph),^[1] while expressways do not and the speed limit is 120 km/h (75 mph).^[2]

The EU accession of the country in 2007, and the improved in the recent years utilization of the allocated EU funds enabled Bulgaria to speed up the expansion of its highway network. As of July 2013, 620 km (385 mi) of motorways are in service, with another 138 km (86 mi) being under various stages of construction.

Bulgarian highway network

Generally, there are no toll roads in Bulgaria, and instead a vignette is required, except for municipal roads. Two bridges − New Europe Bridge and Danube Bridge are tolled, both at Danube border crossings to Romania.

Motorways

Motorway	From	Route	To	Planned	In service	%	Under construction	Tender	Estimated completion
Trakia	Sofia	Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Yambol	Burgas	360 km	360 km	100%	−	−	Completed[3]
Hemus	Sofia	Botevgrad, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen	Varna	433 km	161 km	37.18%	4.9 km	−	Panayot Volovo to Belokopitovo interchange - Q2 `15[4]
Struma	Pernik,	Dupnitsa, Blagoevgrad, Sandanski, Petrich	Kulata;	156 km	32 km	20.51%	54.8 km	−	Sandanski to Kulata – Q3 '14[5] ; Dupnitsa to Blagoevgrad - Q1 '15[6]
Maritsa	Chirpan,	Haskovo/Dimitrovgrad	Kapitan Andreevo;	116 km	38 km	32.47%	78 km[7]	−	Chirpan to Haskovo - June `14;[6] Haskovo to Harmanli - 2014[6]
Cherno More	Varna	Nesebar	Burgas	103 km	10 km	9.71%	−	−	−
Lyulin	Sofia		Pernik,	19 km	19 km	100%	−	−	Completed[8]
Kalotina[nb 1]	Sofia	Slivnitsa	Kalotina;	50 km[9]	−	−	−	−	−
Northern Tangent[nb 1]	−	Sofia Bypass	−	16.5 km	−	−	−	16.5 km[10]	−
Total				1,253 km	620 km	49.48%	138 km	16.5 km

Expressways

Expressway	From	Route	To	Planned	In service	%	Under construction	Tender	Estimated completion
Botevgrad-Vidin	Botevgrad,	Mezdra, Vratsa, Montana	Vidin, New Europe Bridge;	185 km	6 km[11]	3.24%	12.5 km	−	Montana bypass - Q1 `15[12][6]
Veliko Tarnovo-Ruse	Veliko Tarnovo,	Byala	Ruse, Danube Bridge;	100 km	−	−	−	−	−
Shumen-Ruse	Shumen,	Razgrad	Ruse, Danube Bridge;	110 km	−	−	−	−	−

Construction works on the 31.5 km section from Botevgrad to Mezdra and the 12.5 km Mezdra bypass are expected to begin in 2013. Also in 2012, were tendered design works on the section between Mezdra and Vidin.

Other highway projects

In 2012, the Bulgarian government announced talks with Qatar to build a South–North motorway/expressway as a PPP from Svilengrad, at the Turkish/Greek border, to Ruse, at the Romanian border. The route is part of the Pan-European Corridor IX. In October 2012, a tender for a feasibility study was announced.^[13]

Access to highway networks of neighbouring countries

Greece

Struma motorway is planned to connect near Kulata with the Greek A25 motorway (Serres – Lagkadas – Egnatia Odos). The route is part of the Pan-European Corridor IV.

Also an intersection on the Maritsa motorway is built near Svilengrad, to connect with the future A21 motorway in Greece.

Romania

Botevgrad–Vidin, Veliko Tarnovo–Ruse and Shumen–Ruse expressways, all branching off from Hemus motorway are planned to connect with Romania. The Botevgrad-Vidin expressway is likely the first to be built. The Romanian PM Victor Ponta made a statement after the inauguration of New Europe Bridge that Romania plans to build a motorway between Craiova and Calafat.^[14]

Also, in long terms, Cherno More motorway is planned to connect with the future Romanian A4 motorway to Constanţa (interchange with A2 motorway, leading to Bucharest).

Turkey

Maritsa motorway is planned to connect near Kapitan Andreevo with the Turkish O-3, heading to Istanbul.

Serbia

A 31.5 km section of the Kalotina motorway from Sofia to Kalotina was tendered in 2012 and is expected to connect with the future Serbian motorway to Niš. The route is part of Pan-European Corridor X.

Republic of Macedonia

Dupnitsa-Kyustendil expressway branching off from Struma motorway is planned to connect with the Republic of Macedonia.

Gallery

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  Trakia motorway near Nova Zagora

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  Trakia motorway near Trayanovi Vrata tunnel

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  Hemus motorway crossing the Balkan Mountains

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  Bebresh Viaduct on Hemus motorway near Botevgrad

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  Construction works on Martitsa motorway near Chirpan

• 

  Entering Lyulin motorway near Pernik

• 

  Struma motorway near Pernik

Notes

References