European route E79

Road in trans European E road network

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 long.

The Hungarian section of E79 shares parts of its path with other E roads, such as E60, E573 and E71.

The Bulgarian section of E79 spans nearly from the North Bulgarian city of Vidin, connecting the Calafat–Vidin Bridge (or, alternatively, the Vidin Calafat ferry line) 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 signs in Bulgarian and in English. Most of the length from Vidin to Botevgrad, 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. The Bulgarian Traffic law prescribes a in most residential areas coinciding with the route of the road and not more than on the section of the road outside living areas. There are plans to upgrade Vidin Botevgrad road to a grade separated expressway (close to motorway standard), allowing speeds up to
From Botevgrad to Sofia, E79 joins Hemus motorway, designated A2. At the Bulgarian capital Sofia you have to enter the Ring Road, until Sofia Northern Bypass motorway is built. Signage is available. From Sofia to south there are of motorways (A6 Lyulin motorway and A3 Struma motorway) to Dupnitsa north interchange. The Bulgarian Traffic law allows speeds up to on motorways unless otherwise stated. The road is leading from Dolna Dikanya to south, right to the Kulata Promachonas. All the way to the Border Check point the road is of the standard 2 lane tarmac except for the section from the Pernik Province Blagoevgrad Province border and the southern entrance to the city of Blagoevgrad where the road is of highway type and is long. The section between Dupnitsa and Blagoevgrad, 37 km long, has been upgraded to a motorway standard and opened to traffic 2015. Also the last of these sections lot 4 from Sandanski south to the Greek border of 13 km opened to traffic in August 2015. The stretch between Blagoevgrad and Sandanski lot 3 passes through the Kresna Gorge and is planned to feature a tunnel, which will be the longest motorway tunnel in Eastern Europe, whose construction will begin in 2015 and will cost app. EUR 650 mln. There are no restriction to trucks driving in the weekends (except when temps rise above ) 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.

The Greek Section of E79 has a length of about 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 are common. After the Promachonas Border Checkpoint, there is a section in construction, about 20–30 km. After that the new 3 lane motorway is well managed, repaired and policed up to the city of Loutra Serron. Construction and upgrading works are still continuing near Serres (due to state budget cuts, works are not scheduled to complete before 2015). After Serres the 3 lane motorway continues for a further 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.