Todor Anastassov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA), stated on Monday that the landslide that damaged a section of the Smolyan–Pamporovo road on May 1 was not covered by the existing monitoring system. Anastassov indicated that the absence of visible external or reported signs prior to the incident contributed to this, noting that early warning systems are currently installed only at previously registered locations. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works reported that the massive landslide destroyed over 60 meters of the Smolyan-Pamporovo road on Friday afternoon, prompting Smolyan Mayor Nikolay Melemov to declare a state of emergency.
During a press conference, caretaker Minister Nikolay Naydenov presented a new system providing public access to RIA contracts. Based on this data, the Minister noted that the landslide was not included for stabilization under a contract signed on October 23, 2019, between the RIA and “Avtomagistrali,” valued at over BGN 569 million. The data revealed low implementation rates for landslide stabilization projects across the national road network over the past six years, with only three out of over 88 sites completed.
The Minister described the Smolyan–Pamporovo road landslide as a “disaster” but confirmed that while it remains active, there is no immediate risk to local populations or infrastructure. Experts suggest “strong water saturation” of the soil as a primary cause, with rainfall, snowmelt, or reservoir seepage under investigation. Naydenov stated that comprehensive surveys will take at least a month, followed by three months for design work, and construction could require six months to two years.
The new public portal covers contracts for 752 sections and 227 roads, totaling over EUR 5.9 billion.
Topics: #road #smolyan #pamporovo
