Bulgarian prime minister begins construction of the Danube Bridge II
The prime minister of Bulgaria, Sergei Stanishev, has started the construction of the historic Danube Bridge II by cutting the first sod of turf from the ground.
Spanning nearly 2 km, the Bulgarian government claims that the bridge will be one of the "biggest and [most] complex" infrastructure projects the country has seen, with a total cost of €236 million (£161 million) and a construction time of 38 months.
Mr Stanishev commented that the construction of the bridge is not only a significant event for the local region, but also for the entire European Union as the structure is important in the development of the Transeuropean transport corridor.
"The start of the construction of Danube Bridge II exemplifies what Bulgaria's EU full membership means because without ... the European Commission's support, Bulgaria would have hardly ever begun the real construction of the bridge," he commented.
Mr Stanishev concluded by saying that a strong transport infrastructure system is a requirement for a prosperous economy.
The bridge will run between Vidin on the Bulgarian side and Calafat, a Romanian town opposite.
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