A queue of lorries stretching 27 kilometres has formed at the Hamzabeyli border gate in Edirne province, as renovation work on the Bulgarian side of Türkiye’s busiest land crossing diverts freight traffic, Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday.
The bottleneck began at Kapitan Andreevo, the Bulgarian checkpoint opposite Kapıkule. With long waits on that route, many truck drivers heading for Europe switched to Hamzabeyli, but processing on the Bulgarian side there could not keep up with the extra demand.
Drivers report three-day waits
Drivers at the scene described a sharp deterioration. Tarık Özhan told AA the queue had grown from about 15 km to between 35 and 40 km by his estimate, and said drivers were waiting "about three days." Another driver, Gazi Odabaş, said he understood the problem stemmed from maintenance on the Bulgarian side and that drivers were waiting for it to be resolved. Other reports put the queue at around 30 km and said only two lanes were open at Kapitan Andreevo during the works.
Works due to last until mid-2027
Bulgarian public radio reported in August that reconstruction of Kapitan Andreevo began on August 10 and is expected to take 11 months, carried out in stages so the crossing stays open. The project is meant to raise the crossing’s capacity by 25% by modernising and expanding lanes for cars and heavy goods vehicles. Bulgarian authorities warned at the time that seasonal increases in truck traffic from mid-September could cause build-ups and queues in both directions.
The Edirne gates are the main road link between Türkiye and the European Union, its largest export market, and much of the country’s road freight to Europe passes through them. Long waits raise costs for hauliers and exporters, particularly for time-sensitive goods, and can disrupt supply schedules for Turkish manufacturers selling into EU markets.
The delays come as Turkish companies deal with other regulatory changes, including an extended minimum capital deadline and new winter tyre rules for commercial vehicles. Foreigners planning to drive into or out of Türkiye via Edirne should check border conditions before setting off; our moving to Turkey checklist covers bringing a vehicle and other practical steps.
Sources
- Hamzabeyli Sınır Kapısı’nda 27 kilometrelik TIR kuyruğu (NTV)
- Hamzabeyli Sınır Kapısı’nda 27 kilometrelik tır kuyruğu oluştu (Anadolu Ajansı)
- Kuyruğun başı var sonu yok: Komşudaki çalışmalar sınırı kilitledi (Halk TV)
- Reconstruction increases capacity of Kapitan Andreevo border crossing (BNR)
Photo: Tevfik Teker / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
