Modernized streets and a road safety awareness campaign are the goals of a cross-border project
The implementation of activities under the project „Better connected secondary and tertiary points in the main and wide-ranging network of the road „TEN-T“ through common measures in the cross-border region“ was completed.
The main objective of the project was to improve the conductivity of the Pan-European Transport Corridors (PTC) No. 4, No. 7 and No. 9 in the cross-border region of Bulgaria and Romania by overcoming the inconvenience of the critical sections within the European corridors and their intersections with state roads and other urban infrastructure. The specific objectives achieved are:
Improving traffic conditions, safety and conductivity between secondary and tertiary connections and core TEN-T infrastructure in the cross-border area by upgrading 6,614 km of local and regional roads of cross-border importance, which directly connect secondary and tertiary connections on both sides of the Danube river to the main TEN-T infrastructure;
Coordinating the mechanisms for overcoming new joint challenges arising from the functioning of the main TEN-T infrastructure along the pan-European corridors 4, 8 and 9;
Organizing activities with the support of NGO to raise awareness of the safety of citizens in the areas where the intensity of traffic reflects to the greatest extent on the local population.
Beneficiaries of the project with the corresponding budgets are:
Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, Leading beneficiary – with 3,960,847.77 euros;
Municipality of Calafat, Romania, Beneficiary under project No. 2 – with 691,575.81 euros;
„Future Today“ association – Vidin, Beneficiary under project No. 3 – with 117,263.67 euros.
The rehabilitation and reconstruction of the street network in the city of Veliko Tarnovo included the following streets: „Opalchenska“, „Teodosiy Tarnovski“, „Dimitar Naydenov“, „Slivnitsa“, „Grigoriy Tsamblak“ and „Ksiliforska“.
Due to circumstances arising within the project period (10.12.2019-31.12.2023), the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo continues the reconstruction with its own funds.
The modernization in Calafat included 514 m of local roads and more precisely Strada Jiului, which is of cross-border importance, directly connecting the urban junction to the port (TEN-T infrastructure).
„I think that together with the partners from Veliko Tarnovo and Calafat we have successfully implemented a very important project aimed at one of the biggest problems nowadays – intensive traffic and the safety of its participants,“ said the chairman of the association „Future Today“ Ivan Ivanov.
The non-governmental organization has conducted trainings with over 300 children in the municipalities of Rujintsi, Veliko Tarnovo and Calafat (Romania) on how to cross the streets safely, how to behave in a busier road situation, to know road signs and introduced them to the main part of the Law for road traffic, specified Ivanov. „The „Future Today“ association has placed three electronic boards on the territory of Ruzhintsi, Veliko Tarnovo and Calafat municipalities, showing in real time the traffic load on „Danube bridge 1“ near Ruse – Gyurgevo and „Danube bridge 2“ near Vidin – Calafat. In this way, traffic control is supported, with its participants having timely information about the load of the facilities, so that the traffic can be distributed and there are no such long lines of cars. „Professionals have prepared reports on how each of the municipalities can improve their infrastructure and traffic for the purpose of prevention and safety for the residents of the settlements,“ he concluded.