Makaza border crossing jams persist as new Greek disinfection checkpoint slows traffic

Weekend traffic on the Bulgarian side of the Makaza crossing into Greece has been plagued by long queues, with drivers waiting between 30 and 60 minutes. The primary cause is a newly built disinfection facility on the Greek side, which forces vehicles to reduce speed dramatically as they pass through the checkpoint.

Kardzhali regional governor Biser Nikolov said the facility meets European standards but hopes the mandatory stop requirement may be lifted within the month. After talks with Greek authorities, the amount of water used in the station was reduced to lessen driver discomfort. A second bottleneck is a traffic light near Komotini, a few kilometres from the border, which further inhibits flow. Greek regional officials have pledged to construct a roundabout, possibly with its own signal, to improve traffic conditions.

Both Bulgarian and Greek officials are monitoring the situation and seeking technical adjustments to ease the congestion that has affected thousands of motorists traveling between the two countries.