The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Governor of Ruse, the Mayor of Ruse, the Deputy Minister of Transport, the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and a representative of the project contractor held a press conference in Ruse on 22 May 2024 on the repair of the road surface of the Bulgarian section of the bridge over the Danube, which starts in July 2024. During the press conference, they provided information on the reasons for this renovation, what its content will be, what organisational, coordination and communication works will be carried out.
The Friendship Bridge blog transcribed the press conference because of its topical importance for Danube Bridge travellers from Bulgaria, Romania, the region and other countries. According to information from the press conference, a ferry line will be opened between Ruse and Giurgiu just before the start of the renovation, which will make crossing the river easier.
Dragomir Draganov, prefect of the Ruse region:
Good afternoon everyone. As I informed you, today I had a working meeting with the institutions directly responsible for the repair of the Danube Bridge. Here are Mr. Nedyalkov, as Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Valchev, as Executive Director of the Road Infrastructure Agency, Mr. Gaberov, Head of the Office of the Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Pencho Milkov, Mayor of Ruse.
We also had a working meeting with the participation of representatives of the Romanian side, who shared their experience of implementing repairs on their side in 2015 and what mistakes they made, so that we can learn from their experience. We have the good news that in a few days the Romanian Council of Ministers will put in place a border crossing point at the ferry complex in Giurgiu. And within a month, at the end of June, beginning of July, the ferry link between Ruse and Giurgiu could be launched, which will ease the truck traffic crossing the bridge over the Danube and the eventual start of repairs. Around 200 to 250 trucks per direction could be transported by the ferry line.
This is good news and I would like to give the floor to Mr Valchev to explain how the repair of the bridge over the Danube will be carried out, because they are the contracting company. This company is also present here. Come and sit here.
The Glavbolgarstroi company will draw up the linear timetable for the operation of the bridge.
Yordan Valchev, acting chairman of the Board of Directors of the Road Infrastructure Agency:
Hello! This is the second consecutive meeting with the institutions involved in the repair of the Danube bridge. We have decided to start the repair as soon as possible.
We have all the necessary contracts signed. We are waiting for a project conformity assessment report, a construction permit and sometime in early or mid July, maybe the repair can start. The repairs will close one lane of the bridge and traffic will be handled by a traffic light.
Our studies of the traffic currently passing indicate that the repair will not cause any more traffic congestion in the Rousse area than it currently does. The construction company gives assurances that it will meet all safety standards and will be able to complete the entire section on the Bulgarian side within two years. This is what the Road Infrastructure Agency can say at the moment.
Journalist:
How many kilometres of the Bulgarian section will be repaired? What exactly on the bridge will be repaired?
Yordan Valchev:
About 1100 meters is the Bulgarian section. It will be repaired in its road section. The slab and asphalt will be replaced. All metal elements on the bridge that are connected to the road section will be renovated.
Journalist:
What did your Romanian colleagues share with you as mistakes and what did you learn from them?
Yordan Valchev:
They didn’t mention anything in particular that bothered them. We don’t have any information that we received that we didn’t have before that would have improved our renovation plan.
Dragomir Draganov:
To add something. We will organize a meeting with the mayor of Giurgiu, which will be towards the middle of June, when the border crossing point by ferry will already be open. The institutions involved will make a meeting on the Romanian side to coordinate all the actions before launching this ferry and to coordinate the actions that will be done with the repair. We will have about 20-25 days to establish all the institutions that are involved in the repair and the launch of this ferry line and to coordinate on the issues related to parking, restriction – how it will be crossed, whether it will be on the ferry line, whether it will be on the Danube bridge. So there are some additional technical details. I share this with Mr Milkov, who also has a commitment.
Journalist:
What is the cost of the renovation? Does the whole amount come from the state budget?
Yordan Valchev:
44 million euros. Yes, from the state budget.
Journalist:
Will there be a complete closure? I understand that a traffic light will be installed. But will there be a complete closure of the bridge?
Yordan Valchev:
Possibly, for very short periods. That’s the thing I learned from the Romanians, actually. They closed it three times for 4-5 hours during the whole period of their renovation. With us, I think we won’t have to close for that long. It will be for a short period of time, if it comes to that. Technologically, during construction, when it comes to working on the panels that are at the joints.
Journalist:
This plant is over 70 years old. Are there any new technologies that you will introduce to strengthen the construction?
Eng. Todor Gochev, Glavbolgarstroy representative:
I will start with the fact that, in fact, the project has already been prepared by the Road Infrastructure Agency and we fully respect it and will implement it in the way it has already been approved. In terms of the technology, it also describes how the construction is being carried out. I would say that the most important thing here is the implementation period, which we will try to respect and even try to improve. One thing we would be concerned about is the weather conditions. So we are happy that the construction season will start now, which will allow us to work most of the day. We will work seven days a week, with extended hours, so as to minimise traffic disruption as much as possible.
Journalist:
Could we have waited a little longer with the start of the renovation work, which begins just before the summer tourist traffic?
Eng. Todor Gochev:
Well, the idea is just to take advantage of the good weather, because many of the processes that will be carried out in the facility depend on the weather. In winter, we certainly won’t be able to do many of the things we can do in summer. So, in terms of the timing of the contract, it’s good to get started right away.
Yordan Valchev:
Our traffic analysis shows that there is no reason to worry that repairs will start now. Despite the fact that there are more tourists in the summer period. The capacity of the bridge will not be reduced, although only one lane will be used.
Journalist:
And if it will be reduced?
Yordan Valchev:
If it will be, it will be for a peak day, as there are peak days all over Bulgaria. Whether it will be now or whether it will be next year doesn’t matter. As soon as possible, because soon we will join Schengen and then we will have a problem.
Journalist:
Mr. Milkov, how do you see things? What should people of Ruse expect in the next two years?
Pencho Milkov, Mayor of Ruse:
First of all, I would like to tell everyone that repairs are badly needed. The analysis that was carried out by the designers and presented to the regional governor, to me and to all other authorities shows that the concrete panels are in a critical condition. It is more important for me, as mayor, to have difficulties when repairing a bridge. Not to have difficulties when the concrete panels have broken, fallen on the railway line and a car is stuck, as is happening to us. Again, there are difficulties. So, first of all, as mayor, I would argue that the moment is historic.
The amount of money that the government has allocated and the commitment of the Road Infrastructure Agency, the tension of forces that I see that all the institutions – I was at the first meeting in Sofia, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Regional Development, I thank the chief of staff for being here – the regional government and all the local structures will be mobilized 100%, more than 100%. I am encouraged by the entrepreneurs. These are Glavbolgarstroy and Patengineering. I am also encouraged by their willingness to start mobilizing seven days a week.
What I have said as mayor of Ruse, with the accumulation of experience from the repair of the water supply system in the city and all the other difficulties in the transition, is that we must undertake a very important communication campaign not only to the people of Ruse (this is very clear, important and easy for me), but there must also be an international communication campaign. The state institutions are committed so that tourists, mainly the car traffic that will flood us now in July-August until the beginning of September… We can’t ban people from coming to Ruse, but we can do what we discussed a month ago at a meeting in Sofia – prepare such a campaign for Romania, for Turkey, for Greece. People themselves should know that there is a traffic backlog here.
As far as heavy traffic is concerned, we have received a commitment from the state that trucks will be stopped on the road by the coordination centre, as is already done on days when there are difficulties on the roads, but now it will be done permanently. The authorities of the Ministry of Interior, of the border police, will detain the trucks inside the country. And here I draw attention to the words of the contractor – the important thing is the deadline. I really hope that the deadline is important. But, first of all, I liked what was said a little while ago at the meeting, that people’s lives are the most important. And the workers on the site, and the people walking past the facility.
So from that point of view, we have to overcome the difficulties. There will be an office here on the site, there will be monthly meetings. The director of the Road Infrastructure Agency for Ruse will be able to provide regular information to citizens in the future.
So everything we have heard so far indicates that things need to happen in an organised way. Repairs are badly needed. That is my opinion.
Journalist:
I have another question, but I don’t know who to ask. On the support columns and the underwater structure, will repairs be made?
Pencho Milkov:
I know the answer, but it’s better if someone else says it.
Yordan Valchev:
No.
Journalist:
Just on the surface of the road?
Yordan Valchev:
Yes.
Journalist:
Then the condition of those elements that will not be repaired is good enough? Have they been examined in any way to see what condition they are in?
Yordan Valchev:
At the moment, the condition of the supporting structure does not make us want to repair. It is regularly monitored and if we need to, then we will carry out this repair.
…
Dimitar Nedyalkov, Deputy Minister of Transport:
Good afternoon from me, dear colleagues. What we discussed today is extremely important for us at the Ministry of Transport.
We also had a meeting yesterday at the Ministry of Interior with the responsible institutions, the director of the Customs Agency, the border police. I personally insisted that our representative who is in Ruse, Mr Chorbadzhiev, who is fully aware of what is going on, come. He is very well acquainted, he knows how things work here.
We have absolute assurances that the plans for how things will happen will overlap with reality. The companies that have been chosen by the Road Infrastructure Agency have a lot of experience and can be counted on. It is extremely important for us to know that there is a strict timetable that will be respected.
We will inform the industry of the possibilities to avoid, let’s say, periods of time when the bridge will be closed. I commented on this in the meeting earlier, the closed meeting that was just for narrow construction specialists, but I also don’t expect there to be any major problems. I hope we can get this resolved.
For our part, whatever depends, the institutions can count on assistance. We will work as we have worked with them before. Thank you very much.
Kiril Gaberov, Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works:
I can also confirm and assure you that the state, represented by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, will not deviate from its commitments and responsibilities in the implementation of this important project for our country. In a short time, we will form a kind of headquarters between all the responsible institutions involved in the implementation of the project, as well as the contractor of the project itself. We will synchronise our actions, we will receive daily information about what will happen next.
The media will be very well informed about everything that will happen in the next week or two, so that we can inform you and all our compatriots, our fellow citizens, as well as the citizens of the neighbouring countries in good time, so that they can decide which route to choose for their travels. So I can assure you once again that we will feel full control and commitment from the state. The responsibility, we understand, falls on us.
Photo: Bridge over the Danube at Giurgiu-Ruse (source: Gonzosft, CC BY 3.0)
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You will pay the price. We will NOT increase the tourism of your sea shore. And we will keep in mind your groos attitude. First, it was the „wrong filled vignette“ trick of the last year – buying a vignette from the bulgarian side was leading to at least hundreds of people to pay a penalty at the exit of your „beloved“ country: first time in 18 years when the vignette bought on your side was „en masse“ wrong filled. I got it, your economy sinks – with this attitude, I think it is a good thing, a „reward“. BUT you are killing your „cash cow“. Mind the quotas.