Geologists and engineers inspected a section of the third-class road (III-8641) connecting Smolyan and Pamporovo, which has been significantly impacted by a major landslide. Marin Kushev, director of the regional road authority in Smolyan, reported that the team assessed options for immediate temporary stabilization and the construction of a bypass route to restore traffic flow while a permanent solution is designed. The working group, which included engineer Kalin Kalchev and representatives from the road maintenance company, conducted the on-site inspection.
According to Kushev, after reviewing all available options, the most viable immediate alternative is an existing road that passes above the landslide zone. Authorities plan to inspect affected properties to analyze the feasibility of widening the route and creating passing points to temporarily accommodate vehicles. Kushev indicated that a determination regarding the use of this route as a temporary bypass is expected early next week, noting that this option represents the quickest path to restoring traffic, despite being temporary and challenging.
Preliminary specialist observations suggest the terrain is in relatively stable condition with no visible signs of active deformation, though a final assessment is pending. The potential temporary road is estimated to be about one and a half kilometers long. Although an alternative route below the landslide, utilizing a forest road, was considered, it has also been compromised by the displaced earth masses and is currently unusable.
Experts noted that the scale of the landslide complicates rapid mitigation efforts. Work to analyze all options for restoring the road connection continues.
Topics: #road #landslide #pamporovo
Hopefully, they can find a temporary bypass quickly to restore travel to Pamporovo.
What is the expected timeline for determining the feasibility and construction of a temporary bypass road?