Bulgaria’s road agency: 300 snow-clearing machines deployed ahead of expected snowfalls, plummeting temperatures
About 1200 staff and more than 300 snow-clearing machines have been deployed and were treating road surfaces because of the snowfalls and dropping temperatures forecast for January 4, Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency said.
Two districts in Bulgaria – Bourgas and Sliven – are subject to the “Code Orange” warning of dangerous weather on January 4 because of snowfalls and strong winds.
A further 13 districts are subject to the lesser “Code Yellow” warning because of snowfalls and strong winds: Montana, Vratsa, Lovech, Gabrovo, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kurdzhali, Haskovo, Yambol, Varna and Dobrich.
Mihail Rashkov, head of the interdepartmental headquarters for responding to winter conditions, said that regional offices of the Road Infrastructure Agency and snow-clearing companies were working in “24-hour mode” and were ready to respond.
Inspector Ilia Georgiev of the Bulgarian Traffic Police said that if the weather worsened, there was readiness to half the movement of vehicles of more than 12 tons in order to perform a quality snow cleaning of the roadway.
Georgiev urged motorists not to forget that they are travelling in winter conditions and should be well-prepared, with vehicles ready technically, with suitable tyres and sufficient fuel, and should drive at reasonable speeds and with caution, while keeping a proper following distance.
Blocking of traffic by cars not equipped for winter conditions hampered the work of snow-clearing equipment as well as travel by other motorists, he said.
(Photo: Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency)
