Taking into account both the importance of completing the remaining section of the motorway and the significance of the gorge for the protection of European wild flora, fauna, and natural habitats with exceptional biodiversity, environmental organizations and the Bulgarian government have reached an agreement regarding the construction of the Struma motorway outside the Kresna Gorge.
The agreements clarify the specific commitments of each party, thereby ensuring the implementation of the project for the construction of the Struma motorway section at the gorge. The objective is to permanently and fully divert transit traffic away from the Kresna Gorge, maintaining the I-1 (E79) road as a local route through the gorge.
Two areas of the European Natura 2000 protected network are located in the Kresna Gorge. The species and habitats protected in this area are vulnerable to the impact of infrastructure projects and the rapid completion of the Struma motorway. Diverting transit traffic from the gorge plays a significant role in their protection.
The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted a decision on December 6, 2024, urging Bulgaria to ensure that the Struma motorway, with its two lanes, bypasses the Kresna Gorge so as not to harm its rich wildlife.
The committee reviews the motorway case annually. At its 44th session, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Bern Convention, a convergence of positions was achieved between Bulgarian authorities and complainants concerning the environmental aspects of the project’s implementation.
The committee recommended that Bulgarian authorities focus on finding feasible technical solutions for the construction of the western carriageway of the Struma motorway — the section from Sofia to the Kulata border checkpoint — along a route passing outside the Kresna Gorge area.
