Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Construction of the Hemus Motorway has been going on for half a century

Photo: BGNES

On October 4, 1974, the construction of the Hemus Motorway from Sofia to Varna started. Back then, the chairman of the State Council and leader of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Todor Zhivkov, turned the first sod for the country's northern transport axis. This was also the start of construction of the motorway ring in Bulgaria. The main designer of the route is engineer Dena Palankova, BTA recalls. 

By 1985, the difficult section with numerous tunnels and bridges passing through the Vitinia Pass was completed. The highest viaduct in Bulgaria (120 meters) is situated in this section. The planned length of the highway route is 418 km, which makes "Hemus" the longest motorway in Bulgaria, but currently 191 km are completed and in use. A new 7 km-long section is soon to be put in use.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Stanislav Popdonchev

Businesses are worried the political crisis is hampering the country’s development, says BIA Vice President

“The main priorities businesses have – membership of the Eurozone and accession to the Schengen area by land – have receded to the background. They are the motors which can boost the economy, but the fact there is no regular government is an obstacle..

published on 11/12/24 10:00 AM

Bulgargaz LNG tender for January and February next year attracts record interest

Bulgargaz has reported record interest in its tender for the supply of LNG to the Alexandroupolis terminal for January and February 2025. All nineteen bidders met the criteria set by the company and have been approved to participate in the next..

published on 11/9/24 2:43 PM
Lukoil Neftochim in Burgas

FT: Russian oil company Lukoil plans to sell its Bulgarian refinery to Qatari-British consortium

The Russian state oil company Lukoil has plans to sell its Bulgarian refinery Neftochim based in Burgas on the Black Sea Coast. It is the largest in the Balkans, writes the Financial Times .  The deal is expected to be announced by the end of..

published on 11/6/24 11:55 AM