In brief
Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency announced that trucks exceeding 12 tonnes will be temporarily barred from the Hemus motorway on Friday 13, Sunday 15, and Monday 16 November to allow major repairs to the Topli Dol Tunnel. Restrictions include specific hours each day and will be lifted by mid‑December, with further partial limits until the tunnel work finishes in April 2027. Alternative routes via the Petrohan Mountain Pass and the second‑class road II‑16 will be available for affected traffic.
Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) weighing more than 12 tonnes will be temporarily barred from the Hemus motorway between the Sofia exit and the Botevgrad junction on Friday 13, Sunday 15, and Monday 16 November, the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) said.
On 13 November, trucks travelling out of Sofia will be prohibited from 3 pm to 9 pm; on 15 November, those heading toward the capital face the same 2 pm to 9 pm ban; and on 16 November, traffic in both directions will be suspended from 7 am to 9 am. These restrictions cover kilometre 0 to kilometre 47 of the motorway, RIA noted.
During the 13 November restriction, HGVs traveling toward Vratsa, Montana and Vidin may use the Petrohan Mountain Pass and the second‑class road II‑16, connecting Sofia, Svoge and Rebrovo, weather permitting. The same alternate routes will be available on 15 November for trucks heading into Sofia. If traffic volumes drop, authorities may allow trucks earlier than the scheduled end time.
Full traffic through both tubes of the Topli Dol Tunnel is expected to resume around December 18, ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, RIA said. After the holiday period, around 11 January 2027, traffic to Sofia on the tunnel’s tube will be restricted again until construction completes, with a projected deadline of April 2027.
Separately, the RIA will temporarily modify traffic arrangements on a two‑kilometre section of the Trakia Motorway in the Sofia Region starting Friday, to facilitate partial road‑surface repairs, according to BTA coverage.
