Large-Scale Repair of the Road between Rudozem and Smolyan Starts

Bulgaria’s Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov has promised to restart road repairs long delayed for years in the Rhodope Mountains, officially launching works on the tertiary road between Rudozem and Smolyan.

The section was first slated for renovation over a decade ago, but funding never materialised. The current project is backed by more than BGN 51 million from the national budget and the EU Regional Development Programme.

Ivan Ivanov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, said: “This project is extremely important for all sectors here in Smolyan and Rudozem, for tourism, for the economy… Dozens of structures will be repaired, including drainage systems and retaining walls. Essentially, a full renovation means we will have a completely new road.”

Locals, exhausted from waiting, remain sceptical. Some say the poor condition of the road hinders tourism in the area.

Zahari Hadzhiev, a resident of Polkovnik Serafimovo, said: “We have many friends who want to visit our village, whether for guesthouses or simply because they like the area, and they always say: ‘Oh, the road is so bad.’”

Sobi Kaidzhiev added: “Until the repair is actually done and we drive on this road for at least a month, I won’t believe it will happen.”

The repair is scheduled to take 450 days, though the contractor has promised to complete the works ahead of schedule.