The European Commission has given the green light for funding a feasibility study for a new bridge over the Danube at Ruse-Giurgiu in the amount of EUR 6.9 million. The total budget of the project is EUR 13.7 million and the balance of the funds will be provided by the budgets of the two countries.
Bulgaria and Romania are expected to sign an agreement with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency by mid-year at the latest to provide the funding. By 2026, the technical, financial, legal and environmental parameters of the new facility project should be clarified.
The bridge is planned to be combined — road and railway, with a length of about 2 km. The project also covers the construction of the connecting infrastructure in a 15 km stretch on the territory of each country. The bridge will also have a direct connection with the Ruse — Veliko Tarnovo motorway currently under construction.
Bulgaria and Romania submitted in September 2023 the joint proposal for funding from the Connecting Europe Facility. Based on the results of the feasibility study, a decision will be made on the location and financing of the infrastructure facility.
The first bridge over the Danube between Bulgaria and Romania was built 70 years ago (1954) and the second one — in 2013. Since then, traffic between the two countries has increased tenfold. With a view to the future reconstruction of Ukraine, the flow of cargo along the north-south route is expected to increase even further, making the project strategically important for the entire region.
