Bulgaria to get Europe’s longest road tunnel

The longest road tunnel in Europe will be built along the new 65 kilometre stretch of the Struma highway in Bulgaria. Two tunnels, totalling almost 37 kilometres, will be built underneath the Kresna gorge between the towns of Blagoevgrad and Sandanski. The 150 kilometre Struma highway runs from the village of Daskalovo to the Greek border and is part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor IV and the Trans-European North-South Highway. The tunnels are required for environmental reasons and will be
March 13, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The longest road tunnel in Europe will be built along the new 65 kilometre stretch of the Struma highway in Bulgaria.  Two tunnels, totalling almost 37 kilometres, will be built underneath the Kresna gorge between the towns of Blagoevgrad and Sandanski.  

The 150 kilometre Struma highway runs from the village of Daskalovo to the Greek border and is part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor IV and the Trans-European North-South Highway.

The tunnels are required for environmental reasons and will be dug 30 metres underground. The projected cost is US$1.3 billion.

“This is the longest tunnel facility in Europe and the second longest in the world,” said minister of Regional Development Desislava Terzieva.  She also said that tenders for the construction will be issued by the middle of this year and will continue through 2014, and the Struma highway will be toll free.   

The project also includes three helipads suitable for emergency evacuation, a control centre for servicing the two tunnels and the highway with winter maintenance equipment, ambulances, fire apparatus and surveillance cameras.
Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Conscience versus convenience
    June 8, 2015
    David Crawford looks at new ways forward for public transport. By 2025, nearly 60% of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities, increasing their extent and density, and the journeys that people make within and between them. In response, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) wants to see public transport’s global modal share doubling (PTx2) by the same date. “Success in 2025,” a spokesperson told ITS International, “will save 170 million tonnes of oil equivalent and 550
    Read More
  • Balfour Beatty consortium preferred bidder for Aberdeen road project
    June 13, 2014
    The Connect Roads consortium, comprising Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Galliford Try, has been selected as preferred bidder for the design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract to deliver the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty project for Transport Scotland in partnership with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. Balfour Beatty will invest up to US$34 million, which represents a one third share of the sponsor’s investment requirement, with Carillion and Galliford Try also inv
    Read More
  • TransCore develops nearly 100 miles of express lanes in Dallas/Fort Worth
    November 8, 2016
    TransCore is in the midst of deploying over 100 miles of express lanes throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, as part of an initiative to increase mobility along the region’s busiest corridors. With 34 lanes already operational, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plans to mark the 100-mile milestone by the end of 2018.
    Read More
  • Sony’s vision systems help limit risk in road tunnels
    November 10, 2017
    Sony’s Stephane Clauss looks at the imaging requirements in tunnels. In the event of a fire inside a tunnel, the dispersion of gases and heat is prevented, creating extreme temperatures that have led to many deaths. Following tragic incidents including Mont Blanc, European legislation requires longer tunnels to be fitted with incident and smoke detection systems.
    Read More

Highlighted Content