Mezhda Highway Strip

The Mezhda Highway Strip was not a traditional airport that was formally 'closed'. It was a military strategic asset whose operational status was discontinued. Its deactivation was a direct result of the geopolitical shifts at the end of the Cold War. With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 and the subsequent change in Bulgarian military doctrine, the strategic concept of using highway strips for aircraft dispersal became obsolete. There was no longer a perceived threat of a large-scale conventional war in Europe that would necessitate such auxiliary airfields. The facility was never intended for civilian use and simply reverted to its primary function as a public highway.

The site is currently an active and integral part of Bulgaria's primary A1 Trakia motorway, a major transport artery connecting the capital, Sofia, with the Black Sea port of Burgas. The long, straight section of road is used daily by thousands of civilian vehicles. The large concrete aprons at either end of the former strip, originally designed for aircraft, now function as large rest areas and emergency pull-offs for trucks and cars. Due to its long, straight, and high-quality pavement, the section is unofficially known for and has been used for illegal street racing and drag racing events.

Mezhda Highway Strip was a key piece of Cold War-era military infrastructure in the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Built in the 1980s as part of the construction of the A1 Trakia motorway, it was designed as a road runway or 'highway strip' ('шосейно летище' in Bulgarian). Its purpose was to serve as an emergency/auxiliary airfield for the Bulgarian Air Force, in line with Warsaw Pact doctrine. In the event of a conflict, primary air bases were expected to be priority targets. This strip, along with a few others in the country, would have allowed for the dispersal of combat aircraft, primarily fighters and fighter-bombers like the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29, and Su-25. This would increase their survivability and allow them to continue operating after a first strike. The strip is a 2.5-kilometer-long, reinforced, and perfectly straight section of the motorway, featuring large concrete aprons at each end for parking, servicing, and turning aircraft around. While built and maintained for this purpose, its actual use for military aircraft landings and takeoffs in exercises was very rare, if it ever occurred.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the Mezhda Highway Strip for any aviation purposes. Its reactivation as a military airfield is highly improbable due to the aforementioned changes in military strategy and Bulgaria's integration into NATO, which has different operational standards. Converting it into a civilian airport is unfeasible as it is a critical part of the national highway system; doing so would require the costly construction of a parallel motorway section. The site will almost certainly continue to function exclusively as a public highway.