site.btaPartial State of Disaster in Ardino after Torrential Rain Cuts Off Villages from Rest of Country

The mayor of Ardino municipality has declared a partial state of disaster after heavy rain on February 11 and 12 flooded a bridge over the Arda river near Kitnitsa village, cutting it off from the rest of the country, reported the local administration. The partial state of disaster spreads to six settlements: Rusalsko, Lyubino, Latinka, Avramovo, Pesnopoy and Spoluka, none of which can be reached while the bridge is under water.

Built around 1960, the bridge always gets flooded during heavy rain and cannot be used while the rain lasts. In 2023 the bridge was flooded twice - in January and in April.

A few days ago, the Road Infrastructure Agency told BTA that a public procurement for the technical design for a new bridge over the Arda River would be announced by the end of March this year.

Data from the weather station in Kardzhali shows that precipitation in the past 24 hours was highest in the Kirkovo municipality - 105 l/sq m. Kirkovo mayor Shinasi Suleiman said the rain has caused some damage, mainly to the road infrastructure.