site.bta50 Years after October 4, 1974 Groundbreak, Hemus Motorway Still Halfway Built

The construction of the Hemus motorway intended to connect Sofia and the Black Sea city of Varna began on October 4, 1974. The first sod was turned by the first secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party's Central Committee, Todor Zhivkov, near the village of Yana, Sofia Region. The day marks the beginning of motorway construction in Bulgaria.

The Hemus motorway bears the ancient name of the Balkan Mountains, Haemus Mons, along which it runs. With a planned length of 418 km, it will be the longest motorway in Bulgaria once it is completed. The Hemus motorway is currently halfway built, with just 191 km operational.

The start of the Hemus motorway construction was preceded by three years of preliminary engineering and geological studies leading to the preparation of the final detailed design. Dena Palankova was the chief design engineer.

The decision for construction of the motorway was taken at the 10th Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party held between April 20 and 25, 1971. During the Congress, whose agenda included discussions on a new Constitution and changes in the party’s statute, it was agreed to proceed with the construction of a motorway ring of Bulgaria comprising the Hemus motorway in Northern Bulgaria, the Trakia motorway in Southern Bulgaria, and the Cherno More [Black Sea] motorway, which is planned to link Varna and Burgas.