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The E-79 road (in red) has been partly destroyed by a landslide near Simitli and Kresna, leaving only one of the two lanes open. If the road gets closed altogether the alternative route to Greece will be via Bansko, all the way around the Pirin Mountain.
One of the two lanes of the E-79 road, the international road running from Bulgaria's Sofia to Kulata and Thessaloniki in Greece, has been undermined by a landslide caused by the rising of the Struma River.
The section affected by the landslide is located in the Kresna Gorge near the Yavorov train station, some 120 km south of Sofia.
As a result of the incessant torrential rains in Western Bulgaria over the past two days, the Struma River has seen its level rise.
However, the most dramatic increase occurred in the Kresna Gorge about 1 am local when the river level is reported to have increased by 5 meters at spots along the E-79 road, BGNES announced citing local sources. This caused a landslide off the side of the road, with land mass collapsing into the river together with parts of the lane.
The route of the E-79 road roughtly coincides with the route of the Struma River, which springs from the Vitosha Mountain near Sofia and flows into the Aegean Sea.
The traffic has been slowed down since all vehicles traveling in either direction have to use the one lane that has not been affected.
However, if the landslide continues, it is possible that the entire road could be affected. Thus, the major route from Sofia to Sandanski, Petrich, Kulata and into Greece will be closed.
The only close alternative route will be a deviation from Simitli on the E-79 to Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Katuntsi and then reaching Kulata, which would mean going all the away around the entire Pirin Mountain.
Shortly before midnight on Saturday, the Similti Municipality, which is close to spot where the landslide collapsed on the E-79 road, declared an emergency situation. Rescue units including kayaking teams from "Adventure Net" helped save 6 people stranded in their flooded houses.
While the torrential rain in Sofia and most of Southwestern Bulgaria has started to recede, the Struma River and the other smaller rivers and mountain brooks in the region have risen way above their levels, which could potentially cause further problems.
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