Construction of the motorway outside of the gorge is possible. During 2001 a coalition of Bulgarian environmental organizations searched for help from independent engineers (Voltan Consult), who designed an alternative plan for a route, passing outside of the gorge. The alternative passes nearly 5 kilometers east of the defile and 2 kilometers away from the town, through an even site, situated on the slope of Pirin Mountain, at an altitude of 500-600 m. The inhabited areas are avoided, as well as the arable lands, the most precious natural habitats and biological corridors, the mineral springs in the region of the existing gas pipeline. The route passes 6 km away from The Pirin National Park and does not affect it. It includes tunnels and viaducts, that enable the migration and the traffic of all the wild animals, and at the same time keep the landscape. The extension of the international road would be no more than 1-2 km.

The number of rare animals killed on the road will significantly decrease. The noise and the contamination in the gorge and the town of Kresna will decrease to a minimum level. At the same time, the existing road in the gorge will turn into a local tourist route, giving access to all sites, attractive for tourism, and to the local villages in the region.