Schengen Expansion Causes Traffic Surge at Bulgaria-Romania Friendship Bridge
Critical repairs to force temporary closure of key Schengen border crossing as vehicle numbers spike 90,000 following land route accession.
Published on: June 11, 2025
Emergency Repairs Force Schengen Border Bridge Closure
The strategic Friendship Bridge connecting Giurgiu, Romania and Ruse, Bulgaria will undergo a complete 8-hour closure on June 12-13, 2025 for emergency structural repairs. This critical Schengen land crossing has seen traffic volumes explode since both countries joined the border-free zone by land on January 1, 2025.
Schengen Access Fuels 90,000-Vehicle Traffic Boom
Bulgarian authorities report the bridge handled 587,438 crossings in 2025's first five months - a staggering 90,000 more vehicles than the same period in 2024. The breakdown shows:
- 199,571 trucks (commercial transport)
- 76,000 additional passenger vehicles (personal travel)
The 20:00-04:00 closure window was specifically chosen to minimize disruption while allowing vibration-sensitive repair work on the Bulgarian side.
Growing Pains for New Schengen Members
While Schengen accession has slashed border wait times, infrastructure like the Friendship Bridge now faces unprecedented strain. Romania and Bulgaria's land route integration has:
- Quadrupled commercial traffic flows
- Created new maintenance challenges
- Revealed bottlenecks in cross-border infrastructure
Authorities emphasize the repairs are essential to maintain this vital Schengen corridor's long-term viability as regional trade and tourism volumes continue climbing.