Bulgaria-Romania Friendship Bridge Closure Disrupts Schengen Travel

The critical Friendship Bridge linking Bulgaria and Romania will close overnight for emergency repairs, disrupting one of the busiest Schengen border crossings just months after both countries joined the passport-free zone by land. Bulgarian authorities announced the 8-hour shutdown from June 12 at 20:00 until June 13 at 04:00 to conduct urgent structural work.

Schengen Traffic Surge Meets Infrastructure Strain

Crossings on the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge have skyrocketed by 90,000 vehicles in early 2025 compared to 2024, with 587,438 total crossings recorded between January-May. The 18% increase includes:

• 199,571 trucks (commercial transport)
• 76,000 additional passenger vehicles

Romania's Giurgiu Prefecture confirmed the spike directly results from Schengen land accession on January 1, 2025, which eliminated systematic border checks.

Emergency Repairs Disrupt Vital Corridor

The complete overnight closure prohibits all vehicle movement in both directions to prevent vibrations during critical structural work. Authorities emphasize this temporary measure ensures:

• Worker safety during repairs
• Long-term bridge stability
• Minimized future disruptions

While the bridge undergoes phased repairs on the Bulgarian side, its strategic importance has grown exponentially since becoming a full Schengen crossing point.