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The £427m suspended bridge hailed a 'technological marvel' that is one of Europe's largest


Brăila Bridge is a road suspension bridge in Romania, linking the major eastern city of Brăila and the Smârdan commune on the opposite bank of the Danube River.

It was hailed a “technological marvel for its towers and anchoring system” by the European Commission upon its launch.

Its location is of great strategic importance, as it connects the Black Sea ports and the delta of the Danube with the rest of the country, while it also links to the wider Trans-European Transport Network – a large network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure in the European Union – through the European route E87.

Nicknamed by the Romanian press “Romania’s Golden Gate”, this bridge has a total length of 7,199 feet, with the longest span measuring 3,670ft, and is 104ft wide.

Brăila Bridge was officially opened in July last year, when it became the largest bridge over the Danube, the third-largest suspension bridge in the European Union and the biggest infrastructure investment made in Romania in the past three decades.

The project cost more than £427million (€500m), of which £310m (€363m) was provided by the European Union from its Cohesion Policy fund, one of the five European Structural and Investment funds available to Brussels.

In a press release marking the launch of the bridge, the Commission said: “The bridge is a technological marvel for its towers and anchoring system.

“The main cables make around 81,000km [50,331 miles] – a length comparable to twice the circumference of the Earth – and have a guaranteed lifetime of 120 years.”

Suspended 125 metres above the water, this four-lane bridge was created to replace the slow and unreliable ferry service, often interrupted during the coldest months.

While it has been in operation only for a few months so far, this bridge is expected to cut travel time by around 50 minutes and serve some 11.400 vehicles per day, enhancing mobility around Romania for tourists and locals alike.

Upon opening the bridge, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said last year: “Romania sends a clear message to Europe: we want, we know and especially we can build our destiny as a strong and worthy European nation.

“It is the result of teamwork, of international cooperation. A Japanese consortium worked with dozens of Romanian subcontractors.”

However, the new bridge is open exclusively to road traffic, with pedestrians and cyclists barred from using it.

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