Abstract

Analyzing the current state of the road infrastructure in Bulgaria, it should be emphasized that it is the result of the long-term preferential and large-scale industrialization of the national economy. This policy, until the beginning of democratic changes in the country, put the development of the road infrastructure on the back burner, due to the limited resources and the set priority. Investment during the transition years is characterized by irrationality, mainly due to the lack of a justified, detailed developed and provided with financial resources long-term plan in this area. Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union led to a rethinking of the content of the state infrastructure policy, a change of views and the need for rapid integration of the national transport system with the European one. The development of the transport infrastructure plays an important role in strengthening the ties between European countries and in the inclusion of new member states of the European Union. The country’s road infrastructure affects the competitiveness, economic growth and employment of the working population. This report examines and analyzes the changes and modifications that have occurred in the structure, condition and density of Bulgaria’s road infrastructure for the period 2007 – 2024. The main goal is to derive recommendations and guidelines for the future sustainable development of the country’s road network based on the analysis of the development of the road infrastructure during the first eighteen years of Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union.