Rumania Takes Lead in Bulgaria-Rumania Danube Bridge Project
Rumania has assumed the lead role in the realization of the project for a third bridge across the Danube River, connecting the Bulgarian city of Ruse with the Romanian city of Giurgiu. The regional governor of Ruse, Dragomir Draganov, announced that the Romanian side has selected the companies that will conduct the preliminary investigation and design of the structure.
"The investigation has begun and is expected to be completed by mid-2026," Draganov stated.
The European Commission has allocated €2.5 billion in funding for the second bridge in Ruse. The project has been approved for funding under the military component of the Connecting Europe Facility, as part of the creation of a fast ‘South-North’ military corridor linking Greece with Rumania via Bulgarian territory.
Rumania’s Initiative
The European Commission’s documentation lists the Romanian National Administrative Company for Road Infrastructure as the investment coordinator, according to Sega newspaper.
Draganov expressed concern that the Danube Bridge 3 might be completed before the Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo motorway, which is the natural continuation of the bridge on Bulgarian territory, is built. He noted that work on the high-speed highway is still at the ‘documentary procedures’ stage.
Historical Context
Currently, only two bridge connections exist along the 406-kilometer Bulgarian-Rumanian border – Vidin-Kalafat and Ruse-Giurgiu – which are unable to accommodate the increasing traffic.
The project for a third bridge dates back over 20 years. In early 2024, the European Commission designated it as a priority, and the European Agency for Climate, Infrastructure, and the Environment allocated €7 million for preliminary studies.
Estimates from the European Parliament’s representation in Sofia, cited by Money.bg, suggest that the construction of the third Danube Bridge will take at least 10 years.
For comparison, the first bridge between the two countries, the ‘Friendship Bridge’ connecting Ruse and Giurgiu, was inaugurated in 1954.
