Residents of Bulgaria’s Bansko plan road blockage
Residents of Bansko and Razlog municipalities in southwestern Bulgaria have announced plans to block the E79 road, which links capital city Sofia to the border with Greece, on November 11.
The road blockade has been announced for 4pm near the town of Simitli, south of Blagoevgrad, and is scheduled to last one hour.
Both Bansko and Razlog municipalities rely heavily on tourism as their main source of income – the area is home to the resort of Bansko and several smaller ski runs.
The local residents are demanding that the Cabinet approves changes to the Pirin National Park plan that would allow expanding the ski areas in the Pirin Mountains, as well as clear the way for the construction of a second ski lift in Bansko.
Protests by Bansko and Razlog residents have become increasingly routine in recent years, especially during the winter season, when the area becomes one of Bulgaria’s biggest skiing hubs.
(Bansko photo by Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
