Basescu OKs Bulgaria-Romania Danube Bridge II Joint Venture

A photo dated July 22, 2012, shows then-suspended Romanian President Traian Basescu gesturing during a media briefing in Bucharest, Romania. EPA/BGNES

Romanian President Traian Basescu has signed into law the ratification of the agreement between Romania and Bulgaria to establish a joint venture for the exploitation of Danube Bridge II.

According to Romanian media, cited by the Bulgarian Focus news agency, Basescu has signed the document on Wednesday.

The joint venture will collect the tolls and other fees for using the bridge, which will connect Bulgaria's Vidin and Romania's Calafat.

The company will provide about 50 jobs for the fiscal management of the bridge, technical maintenance and control, and administration.

In February 2013, officials stated that Danube Bridge II would be inaugurated on May 9, the Day of Europe. For the time being, the exact opening date remains unknown, as Bulgaria is struggling to form a new government.

The final section of the bridge was finished in October 2012 and the entire construction between the Bulgarian and the Romanian Danube shores has been connected. The infrastructure was completed at the end of August 2012.

Over 100 000 vehicles are expected to pass through the bridge each year. The facility will pay off in 12 to 15 years, according to Bulgarian authorities.

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