The rehabilitation works on the Friendship Bridge, which connects Romania to Bulgaria, will start on July 10 and will make it difficult for around 1.5 million Romanians who will go on vacation in Bulgaria, Greece or Turkey.
1.5 million Romanians will be affected by traffic restrictions on the Friendship Bridge – Archive
Starting from July 10, the Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge will undergo rehabilitation works on the Bulgarian sector, blocking traffic for two months. This measure affects around 1.5 million Romanians who travel to Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece during the summer season, according to the information provided by the travel agency IRI Travel.
Peak summer season work
The rehabilitation work, which is being carried out in the middle of the tourist season, has caused discontent among travelers. In the first stage of the repairs, road traffic on the bridge will be restricted in the direction of entry into Bulgaria, and later on the direction of exit towards Romania.
Alternatives for Giurgiu Ruse customs
“The Romanians were informed that the Bulgarian state is carrying out rehabilitation works on the Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge in its own sector starting from July 9, blocking this bridge for two months. Unfortunately, the works take place at the height of the summer season, making it difficult for around 1.5 million Romanians who drive their own cars in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. In the first stage of the repairs, road traffic on the bridge will be restricted in the direction of entry into Bulgaria and then in the direction of exit towards Romania“, claims IRI Travel, according to a statement.
Here are the Romania-Bulgaria customs crossing points and the distances to be covered, starting from the North Railway Station in Bucharest:
- Giurgiu Customs – Ruse: 70 km – Varna: 285 km in total
- Vama Negru Vodă: 257 km – Varna: 363 km in total
- Vama Vama Veche: 270 km – Varna: 391 km in total
- Vama Ostrov – Silistra (by ferry): 129 or 145 km – Varna: 288 km in total (Ferry schedule: Monday-Sunday 06.00-22.00)
- Turnu Măgurele Customs: 454 km to Varna
- Vama Zimnicea: 404 km to Varna
- Calafat Customs – Vidin (departing from Craiova): 300 km to Varna, Kulata Customs: 783 km
- Vama Bechet: 306 km to Varna (departing from Craiova) – Vama Kulata: 601 km in total
- Turnu Măgurele Customs (by ferry, departing from Craiova): 135 km – Kulata Customs: 541 km in total
The impact on Romanian tourists
Lucian Bădîrcea, CEO of IRI Travel, said: “It is a reality that the Giurgiu – Ruse border crossing point is the most visited by Romanian tourists, especially those from Bucharest – Ilfov, Ploiesti or Braşov. This summer, the bridge will be much more difficult to access and tourists need patience. It is the decision of the Bulgarian authorities to carry out the repairs now.”
The travel company recommends alternative transport routes, noting that some of their bus routes will also choose alternative routes via Vama Veche, Negru Vodă or by ferry to Silistra.
CNAIR (National Road Infrastructure Administration Company) announced on its Facebook page that, for repairs, Bulgarian road users will close one lane at a time and traffic will alternate on the other lane, timed every three minutes. During the first phase of the works, one lane will be closed, and traffic will be diverted.
“The Road Infrastructure Agency apologizes to the drivers and citizens of the city of Ruse, through whose territory transit traffic for the Danube Bridge passes, for the inconvenience caused. The construction works and the change in traffic organization will cause inconvenience to both citizens and drivers, but the works are necessary to ensure safe movement on the bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu in the coming years“, informed the Road Infrastructure Agency of Bulgaria.
Romanians worry about the time spent in customs
On the Facebook groups dedicated to travel, questions about the waiting time at Giurgiu-Ruse Customs are more and more frequent, even though the works have not yet started. Some say they only waited a few minutes, and others say the wait exceeded 40 minutes.
According to the portal of the Border Police, the waiting time at the Giurgiu-Ruse border is 30 minutes, and traffic flows on 4 roads at the entrance to the country and on 3 roads at the exit.
Starting July 5, drivers can electronically pay the toll for crossing the Giurgiu-Ruse Bridge, according to the Bulgarian Customs Agency. This is valid for all cars leaving Bulgaria and can be paid online on the Customs Agency portal. The fee is 4 leva or 2 euros and does not involve additional fees for online or card transactions. Payment can be made in advance and confirmation is sent by email.
At the border crossing point, customs officials check the payment by registration number, which should, in theory, significantly reduce the control time. But on a group dedicated to traveling to Greece, someone complained: “Even though I paid the Ruse/Giurgiu bridge toll online on the Bulgarian side, I still stood in line!! Logically, there is a special lane for those who have paid online, where the car number should only be scanned, but people stand in line normally and those who have not paid are also charged!! When I asked for clarification, the Bulgarian employee shrugged his shoulders!“.
