The Bulgarian government plans to build the Struma Motorway (which is a part of the Trans European Corridor N 4 Sofia - Athens) directly THROUGH the Kresna Gorge and the town of Kresna.
The Kresna Gorge is situated in the Southeast part of Bulgaria. The gorge is located on the border between the continental and Mediterranean climatic zones, which is the reason for such an abundance of species in a territory smaller than that of Rila Mountain.
The project has NOT considered that by following the current construction plans, the motorway will eliminate hundreds of rare plant and animal species. The slopes and the riverbanks of the Struma River will turn into a building site. Plant populations destroyed under these circumstances can rarely be expected to rehabilitate.
The town of Kresna is situated at the southern end of the Kresna Gorge. The motorway will pass at a distance of 30 meters from outlying homes and the local school. The people of Kresna are going to lose their most fertile agriculture lands, their clean air, and the possibilities of tourism development in the region.
Diverting the motorway out of the gorge and away from the town will protect the natural environment and will turn the existing road into a tourist route, as opposed to a massive transportation corridor.
Support the campaign for saving the Kresna gorge!
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THE PROBLEM
