Bulgarian turtles will soon be crossing a major highway
linking the capital Sofia to neighbouring Greece, according to new
plans announced Friday.
The highway will feature special tunnels to allow endangered
turtles to cross underneath, in a bid to protect two species of the
marsh-inhabiting reptiles as well as rare snakes and lizards,
regional development minister Rosen Plevneliev said.
Apart from the tunnel crossings, the 15-kilometre (nine-mile)
section of the highway between the southwestern town of Sandanski
and the Kulata border checkpoint to Greece will be sealed to all
"turtle traffic" by concrete walls, fences and nets, Plevneliev
added.
Another road to Greece further east was already made to pass
through a special tunnel when it was built, in order not to disrupt
bear populations on both sides of the border.