Local councillors in the Bulgarian city of Kustendil, where is the key border crossing with Macedonia, have called on the Government to prioritize building a highway from Dupnica to Kustendil. This would connect the two countries better, after Macedonia is finishing a modern expressway from Kumanovo to Kriva Palanka.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria has been building a north-south highway, from Sofia toward Greece, along the Struma river, that goes along the border with Macedonia but does not have a quality link.

Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski recently noted that Macedonia did its part with regard to road infrastructure toward Bulgaria, but that there is no corresponding initiative from the other side. He also pushed for major changes in the planned railroad link, that, according to the original plan, would have ended in a dead-end tunnel under the Osogovo Mountain, without committment on the Bulgarian side to build their tunnel link.