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

Tourism Ministrer Evtim Miloshev

Tourism minister calls for efforts for all-year-round tourism in Bulgaria

2024 is the best year since tourism statistics have been in existence – revenues, accommodation, number of tourists and tourist registrations, number of border checkpoint crossings, caretaker Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev said. Yet resorts..

published on 10/4/24 11:17 AM

First LNG delivery from the Alexandroupolis terminal arrives in Bulgaria

Bulgaria has today received its first delivery of natural gas from the new Alexandroupolis terminal in Greece. The facility has been in commercial operation since 1 October this year and Bulgaria owns 20% of the project, which diversifies LNG supplies..

published on 10/3/24 3:39 PM

Natural gas prices up 3% in October

The final price proposed by Bulgargaz for the sale of natural gas to its customers in October is BGN 63.72 (EUR 32.58) per megawatt-hour before tax. The 3% price increase is expected to be approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission. The October price..

published on 10/1/24 5:12 PM