European route E79
Encyclopedia
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 1300 km (807.8 mi) long.
The road follows the route:: Miskolc
- Debrecen
- Berettyóújfalu
-: Oradea
– Beiuş
– Deva
– Petroşani
– Târgu Jiu
– Craiova
– Calafat
–: Vidin
– Vratsa
– Botevgrad
– Sofia
– Pernik
- Blagoevgrad
– Kulata
-: Promachonas
- Serres
– Thessaloniki
Since 2007 (Romanian accession to the EU), work has begun to improve the quality of this road.
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.
, 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 sings 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 (31.1 mph) in most residential areas coinciding with the route of the road and not more than 90 km/h (55.9 mph) on the section of the road outside living areas.
Construction is underway on the Lyulin motorway
, scheduled for completion in 2012, which will bypass Sofia, detouring all transit traffic away from the capital. Currently, you have to enter the city and exit it via the Ring Road
. Signage is available. From Sofia
to the South there are nearly 15 km (9.3 mi) of highway, which leads from Sofia to one of the commuter cities nearby - Pernik
. There is a new section of motorway between the Pernik intersection and Dolna Dikanya with the total length of around 20 kilometres (12.4 mi). The Bulgarian Traffic law allows speeds up to 130 km/h (80.8 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.
There are no restriction to trucks driving in the weekends (except when temps rise above 38 °C (100.4 °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.
(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 (37.3 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.
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
. It begins in Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and ends in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, also running through Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The road is 1300 km (807.8 mi) long.
The road follows the route:: Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
- Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
- Berettyóújfalu
Berettyóújfalu
Berettyóújfalu is a town in Hajdú-Bihar county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. It is named after the river Berettyó.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 16,107 people .-External links:*...
-: Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
– Beiuş
Beius
Beiuș is a city in Bihor County, Romania near the Apuseni Mountains. The river Crișul Negru flows through Beiuș, and the city administers a single village, Delani.-Population:According to the 2002 Census, Beiuş has a population of 10,996 inhabitants....
– Deva
Deva, Romania
Deva is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, on the left bank of the Mureș River. It is the capital of Hunedoara County.-Name:...
– Petroşani
Petrosani
Petroşani is a city in Hunedoara County, Romania, with a population of 45,447 .-History:The city of Petroşani was founded in the 17th century...
– Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
– Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
– Calafat
Calafat
Calafat is a city in Dolj County, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Vidin, to which it is linked by ferryboat. The construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge is planned between the two cities....
–: Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
– Vratsa
Vratsa
Vratsa is a city in northwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Vratsa Province. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 60,482 inhabitants....
– Botevgrad
Botevgrad
Botevgrad ; pre-1866: Samundzhievo ), is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Sofia Province and is close to Pravets. Botevgrad is situated at a 47-km-distance from Sofia.-Geography:...
– Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
– Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
- Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
– Kulata
Kulata
Kulata is a village in Petrich municipality, Blagoevgrad Province, in southwestern Bulgaria. it has 892 inhabitants and the mayor is Dimitar Manolev. The village is a major border checkpoint on the border with Greece...
-: Promachonas
Promachonas
Promachonas is a village and a former community in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sintiki, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 252 . A major border crossing with Bulgaria is located here...
- Serres
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
– Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
Romania
The Romanian section of the road is particularly poor. Although only in the region of 500 km (310.7 mi) the road itself is single carriageway except in major towns. With little or no room for overtaking, a 50 km/h (31.1 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Targu Jiu - Craiova: the section Targu Jiu - Filiasi is a bit more difficult. The section Filiasi - Craiova is much better.
- 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 (248.5 mi) from the North Bulgarian City of VidinVidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
, connecting the Vidin-Calafat Ferry line (later on via Calafat-Vidin Bridge
Calafat-Vidin Bridge
The Vidin-Calafat Bridge is a road and rail bridge between the cities of Calafat, Romania and Vidin, Bulgaria. It will be the second bridge on the shared section of the Danube between Romania and Bulgaria...
) across the Danube River and straight southwards towards Bulgaria's capital Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. The road has moderately good surface, it is constantly maintained and repaired and well signed with directing sings 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 (31.1 mph) in most residential areas coinciding with the route of the road and not more than 90 km/h (55.9 mph) on the section of the road outside living areas.
Construction is underway on the Lyulin motorway
Lyulin motorway
The Lyulin motorway is a motorway, which provides a link between the Sofia ringroad and the junction of Daskalovo near Pernik. Its construction began in 2007 and was scheduled to be finished in 38 months...
, scheduled for completion in 2012, which will bypass Sofia, detouring all transit traffic away from the capital. Currently, you have to enter the city and exit it via the Ring Road
Sofia ringroad
The Sofia ring road is an important thoroughfare surrounding Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The Ringroad is around 60 km long and is going to be extended in several stages by 2012, which will cost a total of around €300,000,000....
. Signage is available. From Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
to the South there are nearly 15 km (9.3 mi) of highway, which leads from Sofia to one of the commuter cities nearby - Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
. There is a new section of motorway between the Pernik intersection and Dolna Dikanya with the total length of around 20 kilometres (12.4 mi). The Bulgarian Traffic law allows speeds up to 130 km/h (80.8 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
Promachonas
Promachonas is a village and a former community in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sintiki, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 252 . A major border crossing with Bulgaria is located here...
. All the way to the Border Check point the road is of the standard 2-lane tarmac.
There are no restriction to trucks driving in the weekends (except when temps rise above 38 °C (100.4 °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 (74.6 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 (80.8 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 SerresSerres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
(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 (37.3 mi) and finally ends at a large junction with the A2
Egnatia Odos (modern road)
Egnatia Odos is the Greek part of the European route. It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of...
/E90
European route E90
European route E 90 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east.-Itinerary:...
, which then provides direct access with Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
's Ring Road motorway and onto Chalkidiki, for travellers heading south.