Delchevo-Stanke Lisichkovo Crossing Down to One Lane Each Way During Repairs
The EU is funding the overhaul through its IPA III instrument; no completion date has been published.
The Delchevo-Stanke Lisichkovo border crossing into Bulgaria is currently running on a single lane in each direction while reconstruction work continues. Bulgarian authorities logged the restriction on 11 September, warning drivers to expect longer waits.
The renovation is being carried out by North Macedonia's Customs Administration with financial backing from the European Union through the IPA III instrument. It covers rebuilding the administrative and customs buildings, replacing the asphalt and underground water infrastructure, and installing a new digital scale for heavy vehicles. The construction contract was signed in July.
"Delchevo is getting a more modern, more functional and better organised border crossing — one of the most important gateways to Bulgaria and the European Union," Delchevo mayor Ivan Gocevski said in a statement late in August.
Read Alongside the Cancelled Protest
For eastern Macedonia, this is no small detail. Delchevo is the gateway toward Kyustendil and, beyond it, the route to the Black Sea. A weekend crowd of trucks squeezed onto a single lane means a queue, not just a "works in progress" sign. No completion date appears in the notices circulating publicly so far, which means no one can responsibly promise the restriction will last only "a few more days."
Read next to this week's news that Western Balkan truckers called off their 14 September border protest, the picture is clear: the border with the EU is already tight — without any blockade at all.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · September 12, 2026