Parking and standing of vehicles in the parking lots on St. Alexander Nevski Square is prohibited from 4:00 p.m. today until the end of the festive service, the Sofia Municipality announced.
The festive evening service for Christmas Eve will begin in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevski from 6:00 p.m., which will be led by the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil, in conjunction with metropolitans and bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate (BPC-BP), the press service of the BPC-BP announced.
From 07:00 on December 25, the entry of vehicles is prohibited, only if necessary and at the discretion of the „Traffic Police” department of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR), in the area around the temple-monument „Alexander Nevski” on „Oborishte” Str. between „Vasil Levski” Blvd. and „11-ti Avgust“ Str.;15-ti Novembr; Str. „11-ti Avgust” between „St. Alexander Nevski” Sq. and „Moskovska” Str., as well as on „Dunav” Str. between „St. Alexander Nevski” and ul. „Moskovska”.
Drivers need to drive with increased caution, appropriate speed and drive in cars prepared for winter conditions, warned the „Road Infrastructure“ Agency.
The meteorologists' forecasts are for a decrease in temperatures, and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Northwestern and Northern Bulgaria the rain may turn into snow. The synoptic analyses are constantly monitored by the road departments and road maintenance companies and actions are taken to treat the road surfaces against slipperiness and icing in the event of a decrease in temperatures and expected precipitation. The goal is for preventive and then snow removal activities to begin as quickly as possible in order to ensure the passability of the roads, the RIA indicates. The priority is the motorways, the busiest routes on the first-class and second-class road network and the passages providing connections between Northern and Southern Bulgaria.
Drivers must drive with increased caution and at a reasonable speed, keeping a distance, not making sudden maneuvers and not overtaking specialized machines that process the pavements. Blocking traffic by vehicles that are not prepared for winter conditions makes it difficult for all other drivers to travel and for snow removal equipment to work, the road agency reminds.
On December 30, the movement of heavy trucks will be stopped between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and the restriction will apply to vehicles leaving Sofia. On the last day off of the new year – January 4, 2026, the ban on the movement of vehicles over 12 tons will be between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and will apply to vehicles traveling to Sofia.
The restriction is not applies to vehicles carrying out public passenger transport.
On the „Hemus“ and „Struma“ highways, the ban does not apply to vehicles over 12 tons carrying dangerous goods (ADR), live animals, perishable food products and temperature-controlled cargo and specialized carcass trucks.
On the „Trakia“ highway in the section from the „Ihtiman“ (at km 34) to the „Vakarel“ (at km 23) in the direction of Sofia, the ban will not apply to vehicles over 12 tons carrying dangerous goods (ADR).
In the Blagoevgrad region today between 10:00 and 20:00, reverse traffic is introduced on the section of road I-1/E-79 Sofia - Kulata, at the connection of the first-class road with the “Struma“ highway and the “Simitli“ road junction. The aim is to facilitate travel on weekends during the expected heavy traffic. Two lanes will be provided in the direction of Kulata and one lane in the direction of Sofia. In case of heavy traffic and at the discretion of the “Traffic Police“, other changes in the traffic organization may be introduced to facilitate travel and ensure safety.
Drivers can use other republican roads as alternative detour routes, while respecting the permanent traffic organization in force for them.
About 100,000 vehicles are expected to leave Sofia for the upcoming Christmas holidays, the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency (API) announced. The largest number of vehicles is expected to be on the “Trakia“ highway - about 35,000, about 20,000 - on the “Hemus“, 20,000 - on the “Struma“, and 10,000 - on the “Europe“ highway.