Skip to main content

Second Danube bridge construction approved

Official approval is now being given for changes to the agreement between the Bulgarian authorities and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the second Danube bridge project. So far the EIB is providing €50 million, with €5 million having already been used. The Bulgarian authorities are agreeing to accept a shorter loan period of 14.5 years rather than the 17-year term originally agreed with the EIB.
May 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Official approval is now being given for changes to the agreement between the Bulgarian authorities and the 1054 European Investment Bank (EIB) for the second Danube bridge project.

So far the EIB is providing €50 million, with €5 million having already been used. The Bulgarian authorities are agreeing to accept a shorter loan period of 14.5 years rather than the 17-year term originally agreed with the EIB.

The bridge is being built between Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania, and the Spanish company 4914 FCC was appointed as the design and build contractor for the main bridge works, while the French-British consortium 1559 Ingerop/1554 High-Point Rendel was appointed as the engineer to carry out independent supervision and design check.

Meanwhile plans to tackle Bulgarian capital Sofia’s congestion problems by building overpasses are being put on hold. A €45 million loan is being provided by the EIB for the work, although the Bulgarian authorities are unable to supply the €43 million co-funding necessary.

Work on only one of the overpasses, at the Mladost Quarter, will now start during 2010 and the Bulgarian authorities may have to approach the EIB for further loans for the project.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Norway's bridge meets tough environmental targets
    May 2, 2012
    One of the world's longest bridges is being built in Norway – for traffic volumes of just 2,000 cars/day reports Adrian Greeman. The stunning landscape of the long sea fjords in Norway is one of its glories, attracting thousands of tourists every summer. But the high mountains and deep sea inlets are also one of the great obstacles to transport and development.
  • Norway's bridge meets tough environmental targets
    February 27, 2012
    One of the world's longest bridges is being built in Norway – for traffic volumes of just 2,000 cars/day reports Adrian Greeman. The stunning landscape of the long sea fjords in Norway is one of its glories, attracting thousands of tourists every summer. But the high mountains and deep sea inlets are also one of the great obstacles to transport and development.
  • Romania speeds up motorway work, including A1 TENT route
    August 2, 2018
    Romania’s transport ministry has cut red tape to speed up 13 road projects this year. Work was stepped up on around 169km of motorway, including contracts on several projects to complete the A1 motorway. The section between Lugoj and Deva is set for the end of the year. The A1 motorway when finished, will be around 580km and connect the capital Bucharest with the Banat and Crișana regions in the western part of the country. Cities along the route include Pitești, Sibiu, Deva, Timișoara and Arad before
  • Mini-bridge aids Forth repairs
    July 17, 2012
    An engineering "first" means that rehabilitation work on a vital Scottish bridge built over 40 years ago can be carried out smoothly A new report to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) in Scotland recommends appointing Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering of Edinburgh as 'preferred bidder' to carry out the scheduled replacement of the bridge's main expansion joints in 2009. However, the report to the bridge authority says the tender price of £13.7 million (US$21.3 million) is some £5 million ($7.8 mill