Mayor: Bucharest’s Arch of Triumph to be ready for December 1 parade

The ongoing revamping work conducted at Bucharest’s Arch of Triumph will be completed by November 25, according to Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea. Thus, the Arch will be ready for the traditional December 1 parade, when Romania celebrates its National Day. Firea made the statement after visiting the site on Monday. She said that there is no reason for the work to not be completed by November 25, as the additional documents were signed and the outstanding amounts were paid. “The work is almost completed, all finishes will be made during this period, and the intention is clear, that anyone can visit the Arch of Triumph,” the mayor said. In this sense, the Streets Administration will install pedestrian crossings and traffic lights. The Arch of Triumph’s consolidation required an investment of EUR 7.6 million. Most of the money, namely EUR 5 million, came from EU funds while the rest was covered by the City Hall. Following the revamping, the Arch of Triumph can withstand an earthquake of more than 8 degrees on Richter scale, according to Gabriela Firea. The Arch of Triumph entered a rehabilitation process in early 2014. The former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, said at that time that the work would be completed in 2015, but the deadline has been postponed several times. The Arch of Triumph in Bucharest is 27 meters tall and is located at the crossroad between Kiseleff and Constantin Prezan, Alexandru Averescu and Alexandru Constantinescu boulevards. It was built in 1922 and renovated in 1936. Military parades were usually held beneath the arch every year on December 1 (Romania’s National Day), but this tradition stopped when the monument entered the revamping process. The National Day parades in 2014 and 2015 were organized in Constitution Square, in front of the Parliament's Palace. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (Photo source: Gabriela Firea on Facebook, MApN)