Shishkov saved 632 million euros from the "building of the indices"

Romania is set to host Europe's tallest suspension bridge, which will be located in the village of Parva in the Bistrița-Năsăud county, at the foot of the Rodnei Mountains in northern Romania. The bridge, designed as a pedestrian structure, will span approximately 620 meters and be suspended at nearly 200 meters above ground level. This ambitious project has the potential to become one of the most visually striking tourist attractions in the country.

The investment required for this infrastructure development is estimated at around 24 million lei, equivalent to four and a half million euros before tax. Local authorities hope that this new construction will significantly alter the appearance of the village of Parva and attract more visitors to the area, which possesses considerable tourism potential but remains relatively unknown. Funding for the project comes from the Northwest Regional Program for the years 2021–2027, supported by European funds alongside local budget contributions.

To ensure community involvement, the authorities plan to organize a public discussion where residents can propose and choose the name of the future suspension bridge. According to estimates from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the number of tourists visiting the area could increase by over 20 percent during the first year after the completion of the project. The anticipated completion date for the investment is October 2027.

In another development related to urban renewal efforts, housing blocks in Razgrad have undergone renovations under projects from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. These include block 23 with entrances E and J in the Orel neighborhood, a building on Luben Karavelov Street No. 5, a multi-family residential building on Georgi Sava Rakovski Street No. 36, and a residential block on January 28th Street No. 36. Construction and installation works were carried out according to the procedure for sustainable energy renovation of the residential building stock—Stage I, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.

Ivailo Ganeyev, head of the projects, explained that activities included design, construction, and finalization of construction documentation. The main goal was to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings, achieving an energy class “B” and saving up to 30 percent of primary energy. Energy and technical inspections of the buildings were conducted, technical passports were updated, and necessary project documentation was prepared. Following these steps, construction and installation work was completed on the four objects. By the end of June, all activities under the projects will be finalized, and a final payment request will be submitted to the managing authority. An energy audit by a licensed auditor will also be conducted to verify the results and fulfillment of the targets.

Meanwhile, Regional Minister Ivan Shishkov announced that stopping the current government’s method of indexing road construction, previously used by the previous government led by Rosen Zhelyazkov, prevented about 632 million euros from being paid to companies that won public tenders for the Hemus motorway, the Viden-Botevgrad road, landslides, among others, despite no actual construction having been done on these projects. He described this as a governmental theft from a former administration, stating that the additional funds had been intended for payments made in advance between 2018 and 2019 for lots where there was no real construction, no approved projects, and in some cases, even defined routes such as Lots 7 and 8 of the Hemus motorway.

Shishkov noted that construction firms have stopped making claims for indexation on received advances, following the disclosure of these claims. He emphasized that this situation represents "construction of indexations rather than construction of infrastructure." For completing ongoing projects, he stated that "literally torture on the budget" would be needed to secure targeted funding for the next two to three years and complete and put into operation all the routes. Approximately 268 kilometers of roads are involved, aiming to transform the department's "map of shame" regarding road construction into a map of functioning and modern European networks.

For the Hemus motorway, Shishkov highlighted the priority of constructing the route at least to the junction for Plevenska and Lovech. He mentioned that for the sixth lot, there is only a construction permit, while for the seventh and eighth lots, a redesign is beginning. He noted that the route turned out impossible, but the payment was possible. He referred to the road to Vidin as "the pain and shame."

He indicated that construction has not started on the first three lots and emphasized the importance of building the Petrohan tunnel, which is in a very early stage of design. He stated that within the next year and a half, the design and initiation of design work should be completed on all critical and lagging road projects. As priorities, he outlined the Russe-Veliko Tarnovo to Makaza highway, whose first groundbreaking ceremony took place recently after a four-year delay, the Petrohan tunnel, the Black Sea motorway, which interests Turkey but not as a concessionaire, and other projects.

Due to numerous routes requiring design and construction—over 850 kilometers—the ministry will seek private companies for partnerships in building the Black Sea and Rila highways, the Petrohan tunnel, and others. Discussions with the European Commission are underway, and according to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, half of these funds could be saved. To achieve this, changes to projects under the program will be made to minimize potential losses of up to 276.6 million euros.