Truck bans due to heatwaves. Bulgaria restricts traffic on motorways and national roads

Bulgaria has introduced temporary traffic restrictions for heavy goods vehicles with a permissible total weight exceeding 20 tonnes. The bans will apply on 30 June and 1 July 2026, from 13:00 to 21:00, on selected roads and motorways due to forecast temperatures exceeding 35°C.

The restrictions have been introduced to protect road surfaces from damage caused by high temperatures and intensive heavy vehicle traffic.

❌ The ban covers selected road sections running through 15 provinces:
• Sofia,
• Vidin,
• Montana,
• Vratsa,
• Pleven,
• Lovech,
• Veliko Tarnovo,
• Gabrovo,
• Ruse,
• Razgrad,
• Targovishte,
• Shumen,
• Silistra,
• Stara Zagora,
• Sliven.

Roads affected by restrictions

According to Bulgarian media reports, the restrictions include, among others:

❌ Motorways
• A1 Trakia
• A2 Hemus
• A3 Struma
• A4 Maritsa

❌ National roads
• I-1 Vidin – Vratsa
• II-11 Dunavtsi – Dobri Dol
• III-112 Dobri Dol – Topolovets
• I-6 from the junction to Karlovo to the Petolachkata junction
• I-5 Gabrovo – Kazanlak via Shipka Pass
• II-66 Bogomilovo – Trakia motorway
• III-663 Chirpan – Celina
• I-2 Ruse – Varna
• I-3
• I-4 Koritna – Shumen
• I-5 Ruse – Gabrovo
• II-55 Debelets – Gurkovo
• I-7 Silistra – Shumen

Exemptions from the ban

The restrictions do not apply to vehicles transporting:
• perishable goods,
• temperature-controlled cargo,
• live animals,
• ADR dangerous goods.

Vehicles subject to the ban must stop off the carriageway or use designated parking areas until the restrictions are lifted.