The Guardian: Construction of Motorway Threatens Wildlife in Bulgaria's Kresna Gorge

In an article published in The Guardian on Wednesday, Arthur Neslen, focuses on the construction of the Struma motorway in southwestern Bulgaria which is potentially threatening the wildlife in the Kresna gorge.

The area is one of the most valuable wildlife conversation sites in Europe, being a habitat for golden eagles, griffon vultures, peregrine falcons and a crucial migratory path for bears, wolves and jackals.

According to environmentalists, the gorge boasts 122 butterfly species in one square kilometre and there are 3500 species of flora and fauna in total, with many snakes, turtles and bats found only in Europe.

At the same time, it is an important link between Germany and Greece, being vital for the region developing its tourism, trade and transport.

The EU is offering EUR 673 M in grants for construction of the motorway until 2020.

Initial plans foresaw that an underground tunnel will be constructed through the area, but this option seems to have been scrapped.

Local people fear this will result in "desertification" of their villages and demographic crisis with many of the young people forced to emigrate, while conservationists are afraid that the motorway will devastate the lives of birds, bats, tortoises and large mammals.

According to the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, the motorway will result in bird mortality increasing ten times.

The project foresees the construction of eleven bridges, eleven overpasses, seven dual tube tunnels, 59 mostly concrete fortification walls and ten supported slopes.

The existing through road was constructed by the Nazis and follows a Roman path.

The EU has offered BGN 1 B in grants on the condition that a long underground tunnel is built.<...