The first sod of Danube Bridge II will be turned in May 13th

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The long-expected construction of Danube Bridge 2 will probably start on 13th of May. This was announced yesterday by the Mayor of Vidin Dr. Ivan Tsenov. The former and present coordinators of the Stability Pact in Southeast Europe – Bodo Hombach and Erhard Busek - are invited to the ceremony.

On Tuesday the Mayor of Vidin handed the writ of possession license documents for the building site to the Spanish company FCC Construction and the consortium between the French company Ingerop and the British one High-Point Rendel. These companies shall carry out building supervision. The building site is 92 decares. It is near river kilometer 796, where the bridge shall be situated. After the writ of possession, FCC Company can supply the site with equipment, and also store materials.

Representatives of the Spanish company have required assistance in requesting for temporary use of 120 decares in the Duty Free Zone from Krastyo Spasov the Regional Governor. They shall be used for a concrete mixing center and steel parts production.

The bridge shall be 1971 meters long, with reinforced concrete construction, ensuring 2 lanes in each direction, and a railway line in the middle. The contract for design and construction amounts to 99,9 million Euros. The construction of the bridge has to be completed in a 38 months’ term. Offers for the respective infrastructure shall be accepted until 21st of May, 2007. It has to be completed until 2010. The project is estimated to cost sixty million Euro.

The Spanish FCC, which has won the tender for the bridge, is one of the candidates for the infrastructure as well. 32 companies of France, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Turkey have bought tender documents.

The lands are to be appropriated until the end of September. So far, the sums for 86% of the lots near the villages of Antimovo, Pokraina, and Kapitanovtsi have been paid, and for 73,5% on the land of Vidin.

The Council of Ministers is expected to take a new decision for the appropriation of lands that Vidin Municipality has sold to private persons and companies, said the Regional Governor Krastyo Spasov.

A request has been addressed to the Municipality for the consolidation of the common lands, which have been parceled out into smaller lots during the last two years, and for which a new decision will also be necessary.

Meanwhile, the prices of the lots in regulation near the ring road of Vidin have reached the record-breaking BGN 120 thousand for one decare. During the year 2006, they have cost BGN 80 thousand, but the proprietors have refused to sell on that price.