First sod at constuction site of Danube Bridge 2 turned /ROUNDUP/

News Agency

The first sod at the construction site of the second bridge over the Danube river, which will connect Vidin with the Romanian town of Kalafat was turned. The Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev symbolically opened the construction.
The contract reads the contractor, Spanish FCC, has 38 months to implement the project and 12 months to eliminate any defects.
Danube Bridge 2 is a priority of both Bulgaria and the EU because its construction means opening of a European transport corridor.
PM Stanishev emphasized the bridge would boost region's economic and social development.
Danube Bridge 2 is part of the important transport Corridor 4, which connects the port of Thessalonica with Sofia, Vidin, Romania, EU’s central and northern parts, Bulgarian PM Sergey Stanishev said.
“Vidin-Kalafat bridge will connect the Balkan states with central and western Europe. It is Danube Bridge 2 that will develop the region of Vidin and Bulgaria”, Bulgarian Minister of Transport Petar Mutafchiev said at the ceremony marking the start of the construction of Danube Bridge 2 in the town of Vidin.
What is important is that the bridge will strengthen the trade relations among Balkan states on one side and central and western European countries on the other, he added.
Minister Mutafchiev stressed that tenders for project implementer and supervisor had been one of the most transparent ones.
The decision on the construction of the Danume Bridge 2 was taken on Feb. 7, 2000 after talks between Bodo Hombach, EU Commissioner Gunter Ferheugen and Bulgarian and Romanian delegations headed by Muravey Radev and Traian Basescu.