Bulgaria Faces Road Safety Shortfalls and Border Congestion During Summer

The Road Infrastructure Agency reports that more than 80% of road barriers on Bulgaria’s national network fail to meet current safety standards. Approximately 16,171 kilometres of protective systems need replacement, with priority given to sections with high accident concentrations. The agency aims to bring all barriers up to standard by 2034, focusing first on motorways such as Trakia where about 65% have already been modernised.

At the same time, intense summer traffic is crowding two major land border posts. The Kapitan Andreevo crossing sees heavy outbound flow toward Turkey, while the Kalotina checkpoint handles a surge of light‑vehicle traffic entering from Serbia. Drivers are advised to allow extra time. Additionally, the Svishov‑Zimnich ferry to Romania remains suspended because of low Danube levels, prompting some traffic to be redirected to other crossings.