Sorin Grindeanu, the transport Minister of Romania, said the Brăila suspension bridge over the Danube River must be open by the end of 2022.
Construction started in 2019 on the 2km-long bridge connecting the counties of Brăila and Tulcea will rise around 200m over the river when complete. The four lane structure, with two combined bicycle path/pedestrian walkways, will be the first bridge over the maritime Danube sector and the fourth bridge over the Romanian section of the river.
The work was awarded for €434 million in 2017 to a joint venture team. Construction of the two main pillars had finished by May this year and preparations had started for deploying the first cables. By late August the bridge was 50% complete and reported to be on schedule.
The bridge has a 1,120m main span and two side spans of nearly 490m on the Brăila bank of the Danube and two spans of nearly 365m on the Tulcea bank of the river. A 23km connecting road is also under construction.
Meanwhile, the government said that it will be spending around 2% of GDP on transport projects by 2030. The investment plan has been approved by the European Commission, according to media reports.
Romania spends around €72.8 billion annually on transport infrastructure, of which €34.2 billion is set aside for roads.
