Start of Danube Bridge II

Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev broke symbolically ground in mid-May. According to the terms of the contracts with the Spanish company, the facility ought to be ready in 3 years' time. The cost of the construction of the bridge and adjacent infrastructure has been estimated at € 236 million. The Stability Pact and the ISPA programme of the European Union will allocate € 70 million of the total cost. The European Investment Bank will provide another € 70 million. And € 20 will come via a grant of the German KFV crediting institution. The French Development Agency will earmark € 5 million. The Bulgarian state will provide co-funding to the tune of € 60 million. The construction of Danube Bridge 2 will contribute to regional development in the lands lying on both sides of the facility, Michael Humphreys, Head of the EC Representation in Bulgaria, pointed out. In his words it was essential that the construction of the facility was carried out in strict monitoring over the funds' absorption, to avoid corruption practices. The construction of a second bridge over the River Danube linking Bulgaria and Romania is in fact an excellent opportunity for revival in one of he country's most underdeveloped regions, the Northwestern one. The facility is also the largest in scale infrastructure project ever carried out in that part of the country. It is supposed to expand the traffic along the axis Vidin - Greek border. It will in all likelihood bring life back to the settlements along its way and will create new jobs in a region notorious for its unemployment rate. Last but not least the venture will open good prospects before the tourist industry, which for the time being seems to be the only plausible occupation for the unemployed population.