Residents of Kresna Protest Traffic Restrictions on E-79.

Under increased police presence and accompanied by patriotic songs, they turned a pedestrian crossing in the town center into an improvised blockade, demanding a permanent solution to the problem of passing trucks and cars.

The protesters repeatedly crossed the pedestrian crossing, which is the only connection between the two main neighborhoods of Kresna and at the same time cuts across the busy international route.

Their dissatisfaction is due to the introduced ban on left turns and the installation of traffic bollards, which they say make daily movement around the town more difficult. At the beginning of July last year, a traffic light was installed in Kresna with the aim of improving travel and safety. However, according to local residents, the facility has become a challenge, especially for elderly people and mothers with strollers, who struggle to cross safely within the allotted time.

Residents are also protesting against the two road signs requiring drivers to turn right.

Citizens crossed the pedestrian crossing several times and briefly blocked the movement of vehicles. According to protesters, the introduced changes make travel more difficult and do not solve the problem of heavy traffic.

Local residents insist that Kresna should no longer be a victim of the unfinished Struma Motorway and the lack of a bypass road. Their dissatisfaction continues despite the partial removal of some controversial restriction signs by employees of the Road Infrastructure Agency. The local authorities have also supported the protesters.

The temporary traffic light will prioritize vehicle movement by restricting left turns in order to have the greatest possible impact on traffic heading toward the motorway connection after Kresna, Mayor Nikolay Georgiev explained.

Blagoevgrad Regional Governor Georgi Dinev said that installing the traffic light was the fastest measure that could have been taken.

The Road Infrastructure Agency explained that the traffic light operates with a request button system, allowing pedestrians to cross after waiting for the appropriate signal.