On July 10th the main repair of the Danube Bridge at Ruse starts
Next week - on July 10th, the main repair of the Danube Bridge at Ruse starts. The construction works will be carried out daily for 10-12 hours per day, during daylight hours, according to the specific nature of the works to be carried out, and there will be no complete stoppage of traffic. The work process will be organised and carried out so that vehicles will pass in a staggered two-way manner in the lane not being worked in. It is planned to carry out the works in 6 stages. In the first two is the major repair of the trestle of the facility on Bulgarian territory. A stretch of about 400 metres will be closed for the works. First, the traffic in the entrance lane to Bulgaria will be restricted and then the exit lane in the direction of Romania. The estimated time for completion of the repair works in this section is approximately 4 and a half months for each of the lanes.
For better traffic organisation, traffic regulation will be carried out with adaptive traffic lights. It will be relocatable and can be placed in the relevant part of the bridge being repaired. The gauge and height of the facility does not allow for safe nighttime operations, and protecting the lives and health of commuters and construction workers on site is paramount. If the execution of some activities can be carried out safely during the dark part of the day, this will be done.
The route of the Danube Bridge on Bulgarian territory, which is part of the I-2 road, has a total length of 1,057 km. Since its commissioning 70 years ago, in 1954, no major repairs have been carried out. Joint strengthening was done more than 22 years ago and the waterproofing and asphalt pavement was replaced in 2011. The technical design for the renovation of the facility provides for the complete replacement of the asphalt layers, panels, waterproofing, new restraint systems, markings, etc. The contractor of the main repair of the Danube Bridge is the Danube Bridge Public Limited Liability Company. Its contract value is BGN 44 877 228,68 including VAT. The contract period for the works is 730 days. The construction supervision will be carried out by "Danube Bridge-PII-Strol". The value of their contract is BGN 848 400 including VAT.
The Road Infrastructure Agency apologizes to the drivers and the citizens of the city of Ruse, through whose territory the transit traffic for the Danube Bridge passes, for the inconvenience caused. The construction works and the change in the traffic organisation will cause inconveniences for both citizens and drivers, but the works are necessary to ensure safe travel on the bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu in the coming years. In order to improve safety, the RIA works in constant coordination and close cooperation with the Border Police, the Customs Agency, the Automobile Administration Agency, the Ruse Municipality and the Ruse Regional Administration. The appeal to the drivers and residents of Ruse is to show understanding and patience, to drive carefully, at a reasonable speed, to strictly observe the traffic signals and not to undertake risky overtaking, which could endanger the safety and lives of all travelers.
Citizens will be informed in due time about any change in the traffic organisation related to the repair of the Danube Bridge. A special section has been created on the RIA website - www.api.bg, where all announcements related to the major repair of the facility between Ruse and Giurgiu will be published.
