Bulgaria will restrict the movement of heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes on two separate days at the turn of the month: 31 July and 2 August 2026. The measure targets motorways and main republican roads during the peak summer holiday travel period.
When the ban applies:
- Friday, 31 July 2026 — daytime hours, covering the outbound rush towards the Black Sea coast
- Sunday, 2 August 2026 — afternoon and evening hours, when holidaymakers return
Who is affected:
The restriction covers trucks and truck-trailer combinations with a gross weight above 12 tonnes. Transit hauliers heading to Turkey, Greece, Serbia or North Macedonia are the most likely to be caught out, since their routes run along exactly the corridors being cleared for car traffic.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria:
- Key transit corridors affected: Ruse Danube Bridge, Kapitan Andreevo, Kalotina
- Usual exemptions apply to perishable goods, live animals, fuel deliveries and emergency services
- Fines are issued on the spot by traffic police
Practical advice for drivers:
Time your departure from the border so you do not enter the Bulgarian network during the restricted window — otherwise you will lose several hours at a rest area. Check the truck driver information hub before setting off, and monitor live queue data for the crossings on your route.
Comparable seasonal and holiday bans exist elsewhere in the EU, such as Germany's Saturday ban on trucks over 7.5 t in summer 2026.
Source: IRU (International Road Transport Union)