site.btaUPDATED Overhaul of Danube Bridge Kicks Off in Ruse

Caretaker Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Koritarova announced the start of the major renovation of the Bulgarian section of the Danube Bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu on Wednesday. This happened in the buffer zone of the border crossing checkpoint in Ruse. “The Danube Bridge is a historic bridge, built 70 years ago, and no major renovation has been carried out so far, which is why it is urgent,” she said. According to her, the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) has made many analyses, so all measures have been taken to make the repair minimally difficult for traffic on the bridge.

She also said that the resumption of the ferry link between Ruse and Giurgiu would absorb between 20 and 30% of the heavy traffic, which in turn would ease the journey through the facility for cars.

The RIA said that the construction works will be carried out without stopping the traffic and the facility will not be closed. The repairs will be carried out over a period of two years and the site will be worked on daily for 10-12 hours per day, during daylight hours. The work process will be organized and carried out in such a way that vehicles will pass in a staggered two-way manner in the lane not being worked on. The works will be carried out in six stages. The first two will be the major repair of the trestle of the facility on Bulgarian territory. A section of about 400 metres will be closed for the works. First, traffic will be restricted in the entrance lane into Bulgaria, and then for the exit lane in the direction of Romania. The estimated time for the implementation of the repair works in this section is about four and a half months for each lane.

All necessary measures have been taken to prevent traffic jams blocking the Danube Bridge during its repair.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov said that the possibility of easing the tourist flow across the Danube Bridge is being discussed.

Ruse Mayor Pencho Milkov said this renovation was long overdue. In his words, the Danube Bridge is the last element of the complex system of crossing the border through this country. The State should undertake repairs on the international boulevard "Bulgaria" in Ruse, which takes traffic to the border crossing, as well as on the bridge structures located at the entrance to the city.

All necessary measures have been taken to prevent traffic jams blocking the Danube Bridge during its repair. It is very important to observe the signalling that will be put in place and accordingly drivers should not take risky manoeuvres in the section in an attempt to avoid waiting at the red traffic lights, Ruse regional governor Dragomir Draganov told BTA.

Representatives of the local and state authorities in Giurgiu, as well as the Romanian consul in Bulgaria Florian Mazilu, also attended the ceremony, which marked the beginning of the major renovation of the Danube Bridge.