Bulgarians want to create joint vegetable markets near bridges to Romania

A Romanian - Bulgarian vegetable market could be set up near the Danube bridge border crossing point between the two countries, after the Bulgarian authorities proposed the project. This would allow farmers on both sides of the Danube to sell their produce together. Earlier in January, Bulgarian Deputy Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said authorities were planing to such markets near both of the bridges connecting Romania and Bulgaria across the Danube. One would be located in Bulgaria, and the other one, in Romania. The projects are however still in early stages, with location and funding sources to be established by the end of 2014. The new bridge connecting Romania and Bulgaria across the Danube opened in June 2013. Romania and Bulgaria signed off the project for a second bridge over the Danube in 2000, but work was delayed due to a lack of funds. Construction finally began in 2007 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2010. Since then, several finalization dates have been and gone. The 1,791-meter Calafat – Vidin bridge has two traffic lanes in each direction, a railway line, two sidewalks and a bicycle track. The total cost of the project has reached EUR 300 million, according to local media estimates. Romania has contributed a little over EUR 70 million, with a fifty-fifty split of government money and EU pre-accession funds. The bridge was built by Spanish company FCC, which also built the Basarab overpass in the Romanian capital Bucharest, in partnership with Astaldi. editor@romania-insider.com