Watch out! Turtles to cross Bulgarian highway

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.