Romania’s Timișoara announces plans for two new bridges over Bega River

The mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, announced on Friday, June 20, that two new bridges over the Bega River will be built in the city. The bridges will be financed with EU-backed funds worth over RON 130 million.

The bridges in question are the Solventul Bridge, which will connect Gării Street to Dâmbovița Boulevard and complete the city’s Ring Road IV, and the "Iuliu Maniu" Bridge (formerly known as the Labor Bridge), located near the former cigarette factory, which will be completely demolished and rebuilt from scratch. The former will be the first new bridge built over the Bega since 1989.

“We continue the healthy development of Timișoara. We attract European funds for the city’s real needs and invest in projects that improve quality of life. All this money also means support for the local economy: companies build, deliver equipment, support and create jobs. This is real development: modern infrastructure and a vibrant economy,” stated Dominic Fritz in a press release.

The Solventul Bridge will have double tram tracks, bicycle lanes, wide sidewalks, and pedestrian access with an elevator. The goal is to reduce heavy traffic in central neighborhoods and promote green transportation via tram and bicycle.

The total value of the investment is RON 134 million (EUR 26.6 million), of which approximately RON 93 million (EUR 18.4 million) is European funding, and the municipality’s contribution amounts to RON 42 million.

The "Iuliu Maniu" Bridge was built in 1978 but has become unsafe and unusable. The new bridge will have two lanes in each direction, sidewalks, and bike lanes, for safer and smoother traffic. The tender is in the evaluation phase, and the execution contract is expected to be signed this summer, so that construction can begin.

The total value of the project is over RON 49 million (EUR 9.7 million), of which RON 38 million is European funding, and approximately RON 12 million will come from the local budget.

While before 1900 the Bega River was crossed by over 70 bridges and footbridges in Timișoara, now only 11 remain, two of which are nonfunctional.

(Photo source: Dominic Fritz on Facebook)