site.btaBulgaria to Fast-Track Safety Measures on 36 Critical Road Sections Ahead of Holiday Travel

The Regional Development and Public Works Ministry will accelerate efforts to secure 36 critical road sections across the country, Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov told reporters at the ministry following a meeting with representatives of the regional road administrations. He added that traffic management is also expected to improve in the most heavily travelled areas during the upcoming holiday period.

Ivanov explained that the meeting had to be held earlier than planned due to the urgent need for action on these 36 high-risk road points and the steps required to ensure their safety, especially in light of the approaching Easter holidays and the expected increase in the number of travellers.

All deadlines for securing the critical points have already been published on the website of the Road Infrastructure Agency, the minister added. Discussions are currently underway to explore whether some of the deadlines can be expedited and certain procedures shortened – at least those falling under the responsibility of the Ministry and the Road Infrastructure Agency. However, many of the safety measures require coordination with other institutions. For that reason, Ivanov called for a more expedited approach to interagency coordination so that the commitments made can be fulfilled on time.

The Regional Minister also recalled that on Monday he invited representatives of non-governmental organizations and the State Road Safety Agency to form joint teams to inspect the problematic road sections. "There are different perspectives on how exactly these areas should be made safe," Ivanov noted.

"Last year, due to the absence of road maintenance contracts, many of the planned activities were not carried out. As a result, a large portion of the expected repairs were left undone," Ivanov explained. "We are now looking for the most optimal solutions to address the accumulated issues. Procedures are being launched to carry out the necessary work. We are operating in an emergency mode to make up for lost time," the minister concluded.