The suspension bridge across the Danube is the most ample road infrastructure development in Romania's history in this area, Transport Minister Lucian Bode declared on Wednesday, as he visited major infrastructure sites in the counties of Braila and Galati.

"This is the largest road infrastructure development in the history of Romania for this area. We have this 500 ml euro project underway, and then we have the tendering, design and execution of another two objectives, the Galati bypass and the Braila - Galati expressway, worth roughly a combined 300 million euros; as you can see, we also have the connections of this objective with the main development centers in the area underway, because without the connection with the expressway, with the cities of Tulcea, Galati, or farther - with Constanta, this bridge would not be capitalized to match the investment we make here. So in the 5 months of this year, the Orban Government has signed the contracts for the feasibility study and the technical execution project for the Braila - Tulcea 75 km long expressway," Bode said as cited in a release of the Transport Ministry.

He also mentioned that after the feasibility study and the technical execution project are completed, the execution will be put up for tender. The contract for the feasibility study and the technical execution project for the 98 km long Buzau - Braila expressway was signed on February 21. The contract for the feasibility study and the technical project for the Focsani - Braila - Galati expressway, that also includes the Galati bypass and the Braila - Galati expressway, was signed on May 21.

"As regards the two objectives under tender procedure, we estimate that, provided that no challenges are filed, we will finalize the procedure report at the end of July, and in August we will sign the contract for the Galati bypass. We will complete the procedure for the 11 km of the Braila - Galati expressway at the end of this month, we will publish the procedure report, announce the winner of the tender, and provided that there are no challenges, at the beginning of July we will be able to sign the design and execution contract for the Braila - Galati express road. (...) Depending on how the contractor moves, we will be able to sign the contract for the feasibility study and the technical project for the 112 km long Constanta - Tulcea expressway this July at the latest," Lucian Bode said.

Transport Minister Lucian Bode and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban visited on June 10, together with representatives of local authorities and of the CNAIR management, the site of several infrastructure objectives in the counties of Braila and Galati.

During the visit, the governmental delegation also inspected the works at the Danube suspension bridge in the area of Braila, which is part of the Braila - Tulcea expressway - stage 1.

The government officials appreciated the mobilization of the builders of this complex infrastructure objective. The current 17.40 percent completion stage is the result of the sustained working pace and of compliance with the committed timetable.

The estimated deadline for the project carried out by the Astaldi SpA (Italy) - IHI Infrastructure Systems Co.Ltd. (Japan) Association, based on a design and execution contract worth 1.995 billion lei (VAT excluded) is December 2021. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Banciulea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author/editor: Simona Klodnischi)