Works to consolidate Unirii Square in downtown Bucharest to kick off next year

The District 4 City Hall recently signed a contract for the complete reconstruction of the concrete slab supporting a part of Unirii Square and the consolidation of the Unirii Underground Passage in downtown Bucharest. Works are set to start in the first part of next year.

The reconstruction of the concrete floor over the Dâmbovița River, built nearly 100 years ago, will cost approximately RON 800 million (EUR 160.7 million), funded by the government through the 'Anghel Saligny' program. The contract for the consolidation of the Unirii Underground Passage is valued at RON 300 million (EUR 60.2 million).

The Unirii Passage is transited by roughly 60,000 vehicles every day. Its consolidation could be partly covered by European funds, according to District 4 mayor Daniel Băluță cited by Economedia.

The contract was signed with the association of Erbașu-Concrete Solutions-BogArt, which was the sole bidder, and has a duration of 33 months, with 9 months maximum for the design phase and 24 months for execution.

The leader of the consortium is an experienced builder with numerous infrastructure projects in Romania. The association also includes the Bucharest-based constructor specializing in residential projects, Concrete Solutions, and BogArt, the company rehabilitating the Grant Bridge and participating in numerous tenders of the CNAIR.

The works on the concrete floor will begin in early 2025, and to avoid completely closing traffic, temporary roads and sidewalks will be arranged. For the waterproofing works at the Unirii Underground Passage, closing the traffic through the passage is not excluded.

The slab over the Dâmbovița in the center of the capital was built in 1934 and was initially 635 meters long and 32 meters wide, but now it's reduced to 360 meters in length. Due to the impossibility of accessing the main elements of the slab for inspections, maintenance, and repairs, not to mention the extreme humidity, the concrete structure suffered extreme degradation, particularly to its secondary beams.

The Unirii Underpass has already been the subject of some renovation works. The walls were covered with metal panels to stop concrete pieces from falling. Moreover, constructors have isolated infiltrations at the road level and have closed, as much as possible, the cracks in the interior walls of the passage. The road tunnel was also equipped with an efficient ventilation system, consisting of 60 fans, for the immediate evacuation of exhaust gases and smoke.