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Calafat-Vidin bridge, 99 pct complete, as far as Romania is concerned
The Calafat-Vidin bridge over the Danube, linking Romania and Bulgaria together, is 99 per cent complete as far as Romania is concerned, according to Romania's Transport Minister Relu Fenechiu.
'There are just some connections left for us to do that can be done only after the Bulgarian colleagues come with power and wires,' Fenechiu told a press conference.
He said that the company to keep up the bridge is a Bulgarian-Romanian joint stock company based in Vidin and having a representation office at Calafat.
'The company is currently being set up,' said Fenechiu.
Romania's participation to the budget of the joint stock is estimated at 382,500 euros, which include the share capital, staff costs, administrative costs and spending on plant and equipment.
The Romanian Government last Tuesday passed a draft emergency ordinance ratifying the agreement between the governments of Romania and Bulgaria concerning the setup of a joint stock entity for the operation of the new road and rail bridge over the Danube from Calafat, in Romania to Vidin, in Bulgaria, signed on February 28, 2012 in Sofia.
The Calafat-Vidin bridge will be nearly 2 km long, provided with two traffic lanes for each way, a railroad, two pavements and a bicycle track. The costs of the bridge, which by 2011 were estimated at nearly 225 million euros, will most likely exceed 250 million euros by the time the project is carried through.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Sunday in Ruse that the bridge will most likely be opened on June 15 and teat European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn will be there for the event.