Massive landslide closes main road Pamporovo – Smolyan

A huge landslide swept away the main road between Smolyan and Pamporovo - one of the busiest road sections in the Rhodope Mountains. Although it may seem sudden to many, experts recall that the problem has a long history and has been the subject of research for more than 40 years. The landslide was described and registered back in 1983 and is determined as the largest in Bulgaria.

The landslide remains active. The road through Pamporovo is the most direct one from the Central Rhodopes to the interior of the country. The disaster left Pamporovo without gas as it cut off the pipeline supplying many hotels in the resort. Restoring the collapsed road, if that is possible, will take months. It is necessary to consider whether a road should pass there or a bridge should be built. The landslide has an area of ​​over 7.2 sq. km and a length of over 5 km.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov