Lili Granițka, Mediapool, July 10, 2025
Eleven candidates have submitted bids for the design of the second bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu, with an estimated value of €12 million excluding VAT. This was announced by Cristian Pistol, general manager of the Romanian National Road Infrastructure Administration Company, according to the specialist publication “Podul Prieteniei” (Friendship Bridge).
The construction of the third bridge between Bulgaria and Romania is progressing slowly, with the Bulgarian side accusing the Romanian side, which is leading the company selection process.
The design of the construction, after the selection of the contractor, will take approximately two years (23 months), according to the tender documentation.
The preliminary study must determine the location of the second bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu, the type of construction – for road transport only or combined (trains and cars) – and the estimated cost of construction.
The bridge is financed through the Connecting Europe Facility, Military Mobility component.
Strong interest
The extremely high level of interest is impressive. A total of 11 bids have been submitted, and in addition to Romanian companies, companies from Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and even Japan and South Korea are participating—something unimaginable for tenders organized by the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency.
Most of the candidates are associations of several companies, but there are also independent participants.
Among the participants is the Bulgarian company Project Planning & Management (PPM), which has 18 years of experience in the market as a consulting and engineering firm. It is participating together with the Japanese company Padeco (Padeco Company Limited), which is the leader of the consortium.
The Bulgarian company PPM has offices in Barbados and Tanzania. It specialises in providing technical assistance and engineering design services in the fields of infrastructure, transport, environment, water supply and sanitation, hydrotechnical facilities, land use planning and urban development. It has participated in the implementation of many projects in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific region, and the Caribbean. Most of these are financed by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.
The company was established in 2007 under the name “M.S. Tritor Bulgaria” OOD. Its share capital is currently BGN 350,100 (around EUR 179,000). The company is owned and managed by associates Doicin Alioșev Stoianov and Borislav Dobrev Stoianov, according to information from the Trade Register.
Candidates
– Consortium ACTIV PROIECTARE INFRASTRUCTURĂ S.R.L. (leader, Romania) – EMAY ULUSLARARASI MÜHENDISLIK VE MÜŞAVIRLIK AŞ (Turkey)
– CONSITRANS SRL (Romania)
– EGIS ROMANIA SA (Romania)
– Consortium INFRANOVA SOLUTII TEHNICE IN CONSTRUCTII SRL (leader, Romania) – STUDIO CORONA S.R.L. CIVIL ENGINEERING – STRUCTURE GOGAN SRL (Italy)
– INGENIERIA ESPECIALIZADA OBRA CIVIL E INDUSTRIAL (Spain)
– Consortium MEGA MÜHENDISLIK MÜŞAVIRLIK A.Ş. (leader, Turkey) – CCAT SOLUTION GRUP SRL (Romania)
– Consortium PADECO COMPANY LIMITED (leader, Japan) – PROJECT PLANNING & MANAGEMENT Ltd (Bulgaria)
– Consortium PROIECT-CONSTRUCT REGIUNEA TRANSILVANIA SRL (leader) – ROADS DESIGN SRL (Romania)
– Consortium SPECIALIST CONSULTING SRL (leader) – SPECIALIST SMART GROUP S.R.L. (Romania), PERFECT CONSULT EUROPE S.R.L. – EUROCERAD INTERNATIONAL S.R.L. (Romania)
– Consortium TPF INGINERIE SRL (leader, Romania) – TPF – CONSULTORES DE ENGENHARIA E ARQUITETURA (Portugal)
– Consortium TQM MANAGEMENT SRL (leader, Romania) – DOHWA ENGINEERING CO. LTD (South Korea)
Romania holds the key to the third bridge
The pace of construction of the third bridge between Bulgaria and Romania depends on Bucharest. This time, the Romanian side is leading the way and will organize all construction procedures, unlike the second bridge – “New Europe,” which linked Vidin and Calafat ten years ago.
Although the European Commission gave the green light for the project at the beginning of 2024, Romania delayed the order until Bulgaria signed the joint project to deepen the Danube by 500 million leva, which Bucharest is keen to see happen.
Now there should be no more problems with the construction of the bridge. Judging by the experience with the commissioning of the second bridge between Vidin and Calafat, it will take at least another decade before the third bridge is operational. The preliminary study will take two years. At least as much time will be needed to select contractors, builders, consultants, and supervisors. The actual construction of the bridge will take at least three years, but it may take longer if unforeseen circumstances arise.
Thus, realistically, the third bridge between Bulgaria and Romania could be ready around 2035.
Bulgaria insists on five bridges
Bulgaria continues to insist on the construction of at least five new crossing points over the Danube to Romania as part of efforts to improve transport connectivity and trade between the two neighboring countries, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadzhov said recently during a hearing before the relevant parliamentary committee.
Despite the support of Romanian transporters, the Romanian government is currently reserved about the idea due to concerns about excessive public spending.
“In other countries bordering the Danube, there is a bridge every 70 kilometers. It is not normal for a resident of Lom to have to travel 100 kilometers to Ruse or Vidin, then another 100, just to get to the other side,” Karadzhov said at the time.
Sofia’s idea is supported in Romania by the National Union of Road Transporters (UNTRR), which brings together more than 16,000 companies in the sector. Romanian transporters are also insisting on the construction of new facilities across the river, as well as speeding up repairs to the existing bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu, which are due to be completed next year.
Transporters are unhappy that they have to wait for hours to cross from one bank of the Danube to the other, a problem that affects the efficiency of businesses on both sides of the river.
Photo: View of the future bridge at Giurgiu-Ruse, a few kilometers from the current one (source: Ivan Belchev)
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