Residents of the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast town of Ahtopol gathered Thursday to block the main road to the town in protest against its poor quality and dilapidated state.

The citizens said that their goal is to attract attention to the problem and seek remedies. They presented a request for complete reconstruction of the road, signed by 1500 Ahtopol residents.

The road is not municipally-owned and its maintenance is the responsibility of the central Bulgarian government.

Ahtopol residents expressed frustration, saying that the dilapidated road not only hinders the tourist business of the area, but also threatens their lives on a day-to-day basis.

“For more than 30 years no repair whatsoever has been done on this road,” said one of the protesters, who owns a transportation company.

Ahtopol officials, as well as local authorities from nearby larger town of Tsarevo, said that they have done all that is within their competence and that they expect the central government to take up the issue.

Ahtopol, located in the south-east corner of Bulgaria, is the southernmost town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, with only the villages of Sinemoretz and Rezovo before the Turkish border to the south. The area boasts some of the most picturesque seaside spots in the country, with the Strandzha mountains wilderness nearby, and comparatively little tourist development, which has helped it retain its charm for visitors.

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