site.btaBulgaria, Romania to Sign Memorandum on Designing Two Danube Bridges

116 ECONOMY - ROUSSE - MINISTER - TRANSPORT

Bulgaria, Romania to Sign
Memorandum on Designing Two
Danube Bridges


Rousse, on the Danube, October 21 (BTA) - Bulgaria and Romania
are expected next week to sign a memorandum launching the
preparation for construction of two new bridges over the Danube
- between Nikopol and Turnu Magurele and between Silistra and
Calarasi, said Transport, IT and Communications Minister
Nikolina Angelkova.

The preparatory work will be financed under the Bulgaria-Romania
Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. "After the
memorandum is signed and a joint application form is filed, the
design development and cost-benefit analysis will be drawn up so
the two governments can consider the details of building the
two bridges," said Angelkova.

Public-private partnership will most likely be sought, she said.

The expansion of the Danube Bridge 1 between Rousse and Giurgiu
will be designed under Operational Programme Transport because
it is part of a European Corridor.
As to roll-on/roll-off ships calling at Romania's port of
Bechet, the Transport Minister said it had been agreed with the
Romanian Deputy Prime Minister that no charges would be
introduced.

The stretch of road between Rousse and Veliko Turnovo will be
designed under OP Transport 2014-2020, with an expressway being
one of the options under discussion.

Furthermore, the European Commission has given permission to
Bulgaria to award a concession for the unfinished winter camp
harbour of the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance
of the Danube River, built under an EU-financed programme.

Angelkova was in Rousse to inspect the construction of a river
information centre. VI/DD