Danube Bridge II Agreement Signed In Bulgaria on January 30

Focus Agency

The agreement for the construction of a bridge connecting Bulgaria's Vidin to Romania's Calafat over the Danube river will be signed in Sofia on January 30.

Focus news agency reported that the construction of the combined road and railroad bridge was among the most challenging infrastructure projects the Cabinet decided to undertake.

Work on the project began in June 2000, when Bulgaria and Romania signed an agreement on the technical, financial, legal and organisational issues of the construction.

The main aim of Danube Bridge II will be integration of the Bulgarian road and railroad network with the trans-European transport corridor IV.

Transport corridor IV connects Southeastern and Central Europe. Danube Bridge II, as well as the modernisation of some of Bulgaria's roads will deal with transport limitations resulting from poorer road quality.

Danube Bridge II would be the only bridge part of the network, Focus reported.

Funding from the project will come from the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), Germany's Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau and from the state budget.