Kilometre-Long Traffic Jams on “Trakia” Between Ihtiman and Vakarel – When Will the Motorway Finally Have a Reliable Alternative Route?

Motorists faced long traffic jams once again today on the Trakia Motorway between Ihtiman and Vakarel, as the final day of roadworks caused severe congestion.

The disruption was due not only to the temporary one-lane traffic system, but also to the lack of a viable alternative route. Both diversion options — via Vakarel and Samokov — are either under repair or in urgent need of renovation.

During the ongoing works, the motorway has been made one-way several times a day to ease congestion.

“When a long queue forms in the direction of Plovdiv, we temporarily stop traffic towards Sofia for about 20 minutes to let the column clear,” explained Rumen Sachanski, Director of Sofia’s Regional Road Administration.

However, many drivers expressed frustration at the delays.

“I have no idea why we have to wait when there are two lanes towards Sofia and one towards Plovdiv — I just don’t understand why we can’t move,” said Stoyan, a lorry driver.

“It would be much better if we moved slowly, rather than just standing still — this achieves nothing.”

Shortly after the traffic management system was introduced, a lorry broke down in the active lane, causing an additional backlog.

“The motorway is overloaded. The Hemus Motorway is also under repair, and there are roadworks near Pazardzhik as well,” said Ivan, another truck driver.

As of tomorrow, the long queues on the “Trakia” motorway between Sofia and Ihtiman are expected to ease, with the roadworks finally coming to an end.

However, the motorway still lacks a suitable alternative route for drivers. One such route — the old road through Novi Han — has proven to be in extremely poor condition, leaving many motorists frustrated and disheartened rather than relieved.

“The road there is in even worse condition,” one driver said.

BNT: “Didn’t you know this road was in such poor shape?”

“No, there are no signs, no warnings,” the driver replied.

According to Rumen Sachanski, Director of the Sofia Regional Road Administration, the old route through Novi Han is in very poor condition and nearly impassable.

“The road is practically unusable, but work is planned for next year — a contractor has already been selected, and I hope repairs will begin soon,” Sachanski said.

The other alternative route, via Samokov, is also under repair, with sections where no road surface remains, leading to a ban on heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes.

“Preventive maintenance is underway on that route, and we hope the asphalting will be completed by the end of the month,” Sachanski added.

The next major repair works on the “Trakia” motorway are expected to begin in the spring of next year.