Bulgaria and Serbia have signed an agreement for the construction of a new border crossing point to deal with heavy-vehicle traffic

Bulgaria and Serbia have signed an official agreement for cooperation, leading to the construction of a brand-new border crossing point “Kalotina 2 – Gradina 2”, BalkanEngineer.com was informed by Bulgarian National Television (BNT). This strategic cooperation has the goal of resolving the long-lasting problem with long waiting queues, and to put an end to the miles-long traffic jams at the Bulgarian-Serbian border, which is among the busiest external borders of the European Union.

Judging by the parameters of the agreement, the new point will be in the immediate vicinity of the current facility, operating with a focus on separating transit flows. “Kalotina 2 – Gradina 2” is primarily aimed towards trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles, while the current point will remain for lighter vehicles and tourist buses. The two countries will be tasked with coordinating the construction of the road infrastructure and synchronizing their systems for border control, to ensure speedy transit. 

The signing of the document is an important step in the modernization of the Trans-European Transport Corridor 10, which connects Western Europe with the Middle East. The project will be financed with resources from the national budget of both countries, as well as the possibility of European grant financing due to programs related to border cooperation. The new traffic organization is expected to drastically reduce waiting times for transport operators, improve the environmental conditions in the area, and boost trade in the region.

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