European route E79

E79
Route information
Length	1,300 km (810 mi)
Major junctions
North end	Miskolc (Hungary)
South end	Thessaloniki (Greece)
Location
Countries	Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece
Highway system
International E-road network A Class B Class

Construction of two-way tunnel on Route E-79 in Greece (Completed)

File:E79-sandanski-tunnel-gruev1.jpg

European route E 79 in Bulgaria, south of Sandanski and going south towards Greece

E-79 in Bulgaria (motorway stretch)

E-79 in Bulgaria (non-motorway stretch)

European route E 79 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Miskolc, Hungary and ends in Thessaloniki, Greece, also running through Romania and Bulgaria. The road is 1,300 km (810 mi) long.

The road follows the route:

• Hungary: Miskolc - Debrecen - Berettyóújfalu -
• Romania: Oradea – Beiuş – Deva – Petroşani – Târgu Jiu – Craiova – Calafat –
• Bulgaria: Vidin – Vratsa – Botevgrad – Sofia – Pernik - Blagoevgrad – Kulata -
• Greece: Promachonas - Serres – Thessaloniki

Route Description

Romania

The Romanian section of the road is particularly poor. Although only in the region of 500 km (310 mi) the road itself is single carriageway except in major towns. With little or no room for overtaking, a 50 km/h (31 mph) restriction when passing through the many minor villages, and a great number of slow vehicles, the average speed is generally in the low 50 km/h range.

Since 2007 (Romanian accession to the EU), work has begun to improve the quality of this road.

1. Oradea - Deva: the road is in poor condition, no work begun to this moment to improve this portion, however a project for modernizing this road was approved in August 2008 (184 km will be modernized in 48 months for 132 million euro, according to a Romanian web-site 1.
2. Deva - Petrosani: the road has been significantly widened in the last three years, but asphalt work is still in progress, so expect traffic lights and some bumps; portions with excellent asphalt alternate with portions with poor asphalt.
3. Petrosani - Targu Jiu: this section is especially difficult because it goes through a narrow mountain valley, and because of the current work on the road. You should expect one carriageway, and very difficult overtaking.
4. Targu Jiu - Craiova: the section Targu Jiu - Filiasi is a bit more difficult. The section Filiasi - Craiova is much better.
5. Craiova - Calafat: this section will be modernized in the spring of 2010 2.

That said, the quality of the road surface is such that often you would not be safe traveling any faster than the speed limit as the best part of the road is significantly distressed, and will be so at least for the following 2–3 years.

Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Section of E79 spans nearly 400 km (250 mi) from the North Bulgarian City of Vidin, connecting the Vidin-Calafat Ferry line (later on via Calafat-Vidin Bridge) across the Danube River and straight southwards towards Bulgaria's capital Sofia. The road has moderately good surface, it is constantly maintained and repaired and well signed with directing signs in Bulgarian and in English. Most of the length from Vidin to Sofia, the road is two-lane tarmac Road following the natural relief of the landscape. There are sections where 3 lanes for overtaking slow-moving traffic are available. Rest stops and parking spots near the road are also available and safe. Most of the time tarmac allows for speeds of over 140 km/h (87 mph), but that should not be attempted as the Bulgarian Traffic law prescribes a 50 km/h (31 mph) in most residential areas coinciding with the route of the road and not more than 90 km/h (56 mph) on the section of the road outside living areas.

E79 passes by Sofia where you have to enter the Ring Road. Signage is available. From Sofia to the South there are 38 km (24 mi) of highway (Lyulin motorway and Struma motorway) to the village of Dolna Dikanya. The Bulgarian Traffic law allows speeds up to 130 km/h (81 mph) on the motorways. Higher speed should not be attempted. The road is leading from Dolna Dikanya to the South, right to the Kulata-Promachonas. All the way to the Border Check point the road is of the standard 2-lane tarmac except for the section from the Pernik Province-Blagoevgrad Province border and the southern entrance to the city of Blagoevgrad where the road is of highway type and is 8 km (5.0 mi) long. The whole section from Dolna Dikanya to the border with Greece is to be upgraded to highway with planning being in the final phase. The section from Dolna Dikanya to Dupnitsa which is 17 km (11 mi) in length is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2013. The strech between Simitli and Kresna passes through the Kresna Gorge and is planned to feature a 13.3 km (8.3 mi) tunnel.

There are no restriction to trucks driving in the weekends (except when temps rise above 38 °C (100 °F)) so they pose additional road hazard particularly high when driving at night. Traffic is usually heavy in weekends and overtaking has to be done swiftly and without risk, minding the other participants in the traffic.

At night, motorcyclists are required (and that is strongly advisable for their own safety) to use high-visibility vests.

Greece

The Greek Section of E79 has a length of about 120 km (75 mi). After crossing the Bulgarian-Greek border entering into Greece, the road drastically improves as it has been upgraded to a motorway; and speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) are common. After the Promachonas Border Checkpoint, the new 4-6 lane motorway is well managed, repaired and policed up to the city of Loutra Serron. Construction and upgrading works are still continuing near Serres (due to state budget cuts, works are not scheduled to complete before 2015). After Serres the 4 lane motorway continues for a further 60 km (37 mi) and finally ends at a large junction with the A2/E90, which then provides direct access with Thessaloniki's Ring Road motorway and onto Chalkidiki, for travellers heading south.