Hemus Motorway guardrail installation faces investigation over safety flaws

The Institute for Road Safety has issued an official letter to Acting Prosecutor General Vanya Stefanova and Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev, calling for an immediate investigation into the installation of road barrier systems (guardrails) on the Hemus Motorway.

Following an inspection at kilometer 36 on a viaduct over 100 meters high, the Institute reported critical technical failures in the work performed by Avtomagistrali EAD. Key issues include missing critical anchor bolts at the base of metal columns and missing bolt connections between modules and beams. The Institute warned that these deficiencies mean the barriers lack any containment capacity, potentially creating a deadly trap for drivers that could lead vehicles to fall from the viaduct during a collision.