‘1,283 Potholes and Counting’: Bulgarian Villagers Threaten to Block Border Road

Jerusalem, 4 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Yambol (BTA) – Residents of seven border villages in the municipality of Bolyarovo (Yambol region) are ready to protest and close the Elhovo-Burgas road. The reason is the extremely poor condition of the third-class republican road between the villages of Mamarchevo and Strandzha. This was stated by the mayor of Bolyarovo Hristo Hristov to journalists after a meeting of the regional headquarters for disaster risk reduction and winter preparedness in the Yambol region.

The most critical is the approximately six-kilometer section between the villages of Voden and Malko Sharkovo. “We have signaled many times about this road – both the Regional Road Administration and the Road Infrastructure Agency. The signals have been in place since 2024, when there were major fires on our territory. The road is in very poor condition – pothole after pothole, and in winter it will become much worse. A resident of the village of Voden had counted them – 1,283 potholes,” noted the mayor of the Bolyarovo municipality.

Local residents give a deadline of November 15 for urgent repairs. Otherwise, there will be a road blockade, said the municipal councilor in Bolyarovo Yordan Trifonov. “The road is tragic, with holes 30-40 cm deep, not visible in rain and snowfall. In addition to car accidents, there could be a more serious traffic accident, even with casualties. This is also a main road in terms of guarding the state border, ambulances and school buses pass by,” he pointed out.

The repair of the road in question had begun, but the road maintenance company’s machine was hit and damaged by a car. This is the reason for the delay in the repair, explained the director of the Yambol Regional Road Administration, Eng. Galin Kostov. “I have the assurance of the contractor that if it cannot be repaired before the winter season, the holes will be filled with cold asphalt mixture,” he added.