An impressive bridge in Arges County is very close to opening, the CEO of the National Infrastructure Management Company (CNAIR) Christian Pistole announced on Saturday.

Dimbovitsa bridgePhoto: Cristian Pistol / Facebook

It is the first circular arched metal bridge with a carriageway in the upper part, built so far in Romania.

The bridge in the PodulDambovice area, located on the DN73, is 170 meters long and has a maximum height of 31 meters and took 1 year and 6 months to build (financed by the Major Infrastructure Operational Programme).

“It will take over the traffic on the historic Rukar-Bran route and will make an important contribution to the economic development of the areas through which the DN73 passes in Muntenia and Transylvania. Both tourists who wish to reach the area, especially to visit Bran Castle, as well as large haulage companies will benefit from the safety and comfort once the new bridge opens to traffic,” Pistol said in a Facebook post.

The old stone arch bridge (built in 1886), declared a monument of history, will be open to traffic only for vehicles with a maximum weight of 16 tons, and only heavy vehicles will travel on the new metal bridge.

“The new arch bridge, built by Romanian engineers, could only be built after technical solutions were identified that would not affect the environment and allow access to nearby properties. After checking the construction work today, I am sure that we will be able to open the new bridge to traffic by the end of November 2023,” said Pistol.

The president of the PNL, former prime minister Nicolae Chuke, said on Saturday during a visit to the construction site of the new bridge that it was a project “that starts and ends on time”.

“It is very important to emphasize (…) the fact that this is a Romanian project, the developer is Romanian, and we manage to combine investment funds from the state budget with European funds. This is a project financed by the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. (…) It’s a message that it’s possible, it’s clear that when you really want it, you can,” Chuke added, according to Agerpres.