Bulgaria has introduced temporary traffic restrictions for heavy goods vehicles on two of its most important transit routes: the Trakia motorway (A1), which links Sofia with Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and the Black Sea port of Burgas, and the Struma motorway (A3), running south from Sofia towards the Greek border at Kulata.
Who is affected:
The measures target lorries above the announced weight threshold during peak holiday traffic windows. Cars, vans and passenger buses are not covered by the ban.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria:
- A1 Trakia: truck movement is suspended during peak weekend hours when holiday traffic heads to the coast
- A3 Struma: restrictions apply on single-carriageway sections and in tunnels, where congestion builds before Kulata
- Exact hours and road sections are published by the Road Infrastructure Agency shortly before each affected weekend
🇷🇸 Alternative routing:
- Freight bound for Greece can be routed via Serbia and North Macedonia, though the detour adds distance and toll costs
Practical advice for drivers:
Depart on weekday mornings where possible, identify a secure parking area in advance in case you are stopped by the ban, and build the pause into your tachograph planning. Carriers running to the Balkans from Ukraine should also monitor exit-side delays — current data and guidance are collected in our section for truck drivers.
Motorway delays add to the time already spent at the border itself, so total transit time can grow by several hours.
Source: IRU (International Road Transport Union)