The Chairman of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA), Todor Anastassov, said here on Monday that the landslide which on May 1 carried away a section of the Smolyan–Pamporovo road was not part of the monitoring system. The reason is the lack of visible external or reported signs before the incident, Anastassov told BTA. He noted that early warning systems for such processes are installed only at already registered locations.
Amassive landslidedestroyed over 60 metres of the Smolyan-Pamporovo road on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works reported. Smolyan Mayor Nikolay Melemov declared a state of emergency. The head of the RIA took part in a press conference held on Monday by caretaker Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Naydenov, where a system providing public access to RIA contracts over the years was presented.
Based on data from the system, the Minister said that the landslide was not included for stabilization under a contract signed on October 23, 2019 between the RIA and “Avtomagistrali,” worth over BGN 569 million, of which around BGN 218 million had been paid in advance at the time of signing. Data from the new information system show low implementation of landslide stabilization projects along the national road network over more than six years: out of more than 88 sites, only three have been completed, 33 are under implementation, and 53 have not yet started. The Minister described the Smolyan–Pamporovo road landslide as a “disaster” and noted that it is still active, but there is currently no direct risk to the local population, hotels, or other infrastructure in the area.
He added that expert opinion points to “strong water saturation” of the soil as one of the main causes, and rainfall, snowmelt, or possible seepage from a nearby reservoir are being investigated as possible causes. Nikolay Naydenov said that comprehensive surveys are forthcoming and will take at least a month. After that, at least three months will be needed for design work.
According to the Minister, actual construction could last from six months to two years, depending on the complexity of the project. The information system presented during the briefing covers contracts for 752 sections and 227 roads, with a total value of over EUR 5.9 billion. The oldest documented contracts date back to 2014, and the most recent are from April 2026.
The data are visualized through a web-based mapping portal accessible to all citizens, with the option to download information in an open format. This website uses cookies. By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages.
Topics: #road #smolyan #pamporovo
