Send to Kindle
The Echemishka tunnel is reopening to traffic after a lamp fell off the ceiling, hit a car and killed a woman on Sunday, authorities say.
The tunnel is part of a road used by tens of thousands of commuters on a daily basis, but has not undergone repairs since it was carved into the slopes in 1985.
Interim Regional Development Minister Spas Popnikolov had instructed the Road Infrastructure Agency to propose "emergency" options that will reopen it, according to Focus News Agency.
Earlier, Popnikolov announced the tunnel would not be accessible until repairs were made that would make it safe.
Late last week he said technical teams were working around the clock to make sure the tunnel would reopen. “People are working under very difficult conditions – snow, cold weather, but I am certain we will manage.”
The infrastructure agency has been under attack for failing to provide maintenance on time, with the interim Prime Minister dismissing part of its management after the incident.
Last year, it carried out an inspection which established the tunnel was "safe".
Meanwhile the Bulgarian National Television announced a tender had been launched several years earlier to repair the tunnel, but the procurement procedure stalled.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Today marks a significant advancement in transportation infrastructure in Bulgaria as traffic is officially permitted through the "Zheleznitsa" tunnel on the "Struma" highway
Israeli soldiers in Gaza discovered a tunnel shaft located inside a school, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday
Traffic on the "Lyulin" tunnel was opened this morning. The facility had been under renovation since July of last year
The drilling of the longest tunnel in Bulgaria - “Zheleznitsa” has begun.
The reason is a planned exercise-simulation of a crash and a fire in the facility, writes NOVA TV.
From 9:30 am to 4:00 pm the traffic in the "Topli dol" tunnel of ''Hemus'' Motorway in the tube to Varna will be limited.
The summer of 2024, encompassing June, July, and August, has been recorded as the hottest and one of the driest in Bulgaria since the start of the century
In the annals of Bulgarian history, few events stand as tall as the Unification of 1885
On September 6, Bulgaria will experience generally sunny weather, with afternoon showers and thunderstorms expected, particularly in mountainous regions
In the village of Divotino, Pernik, a formwork that had fallen onto a poured concrete slab trapped two individuals
A fatal accident occurred when the international fast train from Istanbul to Bucharest collided with a car carrying two people at a railway crossing between Plachkovtsi and Tryavna stations
"Book Alley" will return to Sofia from September 9 to 15, taking place along Vitosha Boulevard and in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK)
Bulgaria Ranks Second in the Balkans at Paris 2024 Olympics, 26th Overall
Bulgaria Leads Europe in Heat-Related Deaths in Record-Breaking 2023
