Struma Motorway will be constructed outside the Kresna Gorge in Bulgaria.
Agreement reached between Road Infrastructure Agency, Ministry of Environment and Water and environmental organisations.
The legal appeals challenging the construction of the final, unfinished section of the Struma Motorway through the Kresna Gorge have been withdrawn, resulting in the termination of the associated court proceedings. Recognising both the importance of completing this remaining segment of the motorway and the ecological significance of the Kresna Gorge — an area of exceptional biodiversity vital to the conservation of Europe’s wild flora, fauna and natural habitats — the Bulgarian government and environmental organisations have reached a consensus. An agreement has been established to implement the final section of the Struma Motorway along a route that is outside the gorge.
This outcome was achieved following an active and constructive dialogue, culminating in the signing of formal agreements between the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA), the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW), the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water – Blagoevgrad, and the appellants in the legal proceedings, who are members of the “Save Kresna Gorge” coalition . It is the result of joint efforts, productive cooperation and the strong commitment of the negotiating teams involved.
The agreements also set out the specific commitments of each party and represent tangible progress in the advancement of the Struma Motorway project in the vicinity of the gorge. A central objective of the plan is to permanently and fully divert transit traffic away from the Kresna Gorge. The existing I-1 (E79) road running through the gorge will be left as a local road.
Two sites within the European NATURA 2000 network of protected areas are located in the Kresna Gorge area. The species and habitats protected in this area are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of infrastructure development, making the swift completion of the motorway and the diversion of transit traffic crucial for their long-term conservation.
The construction of the Struma Motorway in this section has been closely monitored under the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). The Standing Committee of the Convention has reviewed the case annually. At its 44th meeting in December 2024, with the support of the Convention’s Secretariat, a convergence of views was reached between the Bulgarian authorities and the complainants regarding environmental concerns associated with Lot 3.2 of the motorway.
In line with its mandate, the Standing Committee recommended that the Bulgarian authorities prioritise technically feasible solutions that route the western lane of the Struma Motorway — in teh direction from Sofia towards Greece — outside the territory of the Kresna Gorge.
In implementation of the Committee’s decision, the Council of Ministers adopted a formal roadmap for completing the Struma Motorway (Decision No. 62/12.02.2025). As part of this roadmap, preparations are under way to launch a public procurement procedure to select a contractor for a study identifying an alternative route outside the Kresna Gorge for the western lane. The procedure will include requirements that any proposed route comply fully with environmental protection standards and avoid significant impacts on species and habitats within the “Kresna” and “Kresna–Ilindentsi” Natura 2000 sites.
At present, priority is being given to the implementation of the 5.5 kilometre-long Kresna Bypass, under existing engineering contracts. Construction is expected to begin by September 2025. An approved and effective detailed development plan is already in place for this bypass, and expropriation procedures are under way. A technical design has also been prepared and approved by the contracting authority. Design work on the remaining sections is progressing, and the updated detailed development plan for the east lane of the motorway in the Greece–Sofia direction has been fully finalized. Technical planning for this section is currently in development.
Contacts:
Andrey Ralev, Biodiversity campaigner, CEE Bankwatch Network, andrey.ralev@bankwatch.org
Desislava Stoyanova, Economic justice campaigner at Environmental association Za Zemiata, Bulgaria – desislava@zazemiata.org
Notes for editors:
The construction of this section of the Struma motorway has been closely monitored under the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) since 2001. At its 44th meeting in December 2024, with the support of the Convention’s Secretariat, a convergence of views was reached between the Bulgarian authorities and the complainants regarding the Kresna Gorge.
The Standing Committee recommended that the Bulgarian authorities prioritise technically feasible solutions that route the western lane of the Struma motorway — in the direction from Sofia towards Greece — outside the Gorge.
Following the Committee’s decision, the Bulgarian Council of Ministers adopted a formal roadmap for completing the Struma motorway (Decision No. 62/12.02.2025). As part of this roadmap, preparations are under way to commission a study identifying an alternative route outside the Kresna Gorge for the western lane, including requirements to avoid significant impacts on species and habitats within the Kresna and Kresna–Ilindentsi Natura 2000 sites.
The motorway received significant funding from the European Union. The ‘Operational Program Transport 2007-2013’ funded the construction of sections 1, 2, and 4, as well as the preparation of section 3 through Kresna Gorge.
