04. 08. 09. - 15:00

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04. 08. 09. - 15:00

Construction of largest motorway viaduct ends

Michael Leidig

The US construction firm Bechtel said it has finished building the biggest viaduct on the 2B Campia Turzii–Gilau segment of the Transylvania Highway.

The one kilometre-long viaduct over the Aries River in western Romania is 23 meters high.

Construction of it began in 2007, but work on it was delayed for lack of funding, Bechtel said yesterday (Mon).

Bechtel said 43 road structures, including a viaduct at Suplacu de Barcau in Bihor county in western Romania, would be built on the 3C segment of the Transylvania Highway. Work will be resumed at another four locations on the 3C segment.

The construction of the highway, linking the central Romanian city of Brasov to Bors on the western border with Hungary, started in 2004 based on a 2.2-billion-Euro contract awarded to Bechtel. Work was halted in mid-2005, when authorities started looking into contracts awarded during the previous administration. That caused a one-year setback in construction work.

Under an agreement concluded in February by Bechtel and the Romanian Transport Ministry, the US firm is set to complete 42 kilometres of the highway this year, for which the ministry will pay it 420 million Euros.

The entire highway is due for completion in 2013.

Protesters throw snowballs at prime minister
Unionists booed and threw snow balls at Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc today (Fri) in protest against the unitary pay law and the future pension law.

Romania still has problems, according to the US Human Rights report
Discrimination against the Roma and gays, Lesbians and transgender people is still happening in Romania, according to the Human Rights Report for 2009 issued by the US State Departament today (Fri).

Depeche Mode-inspired dance show in Bucharest
A dance show inspired by the lyrics and music of British rock band Depeche Mode is premiering today (Fri) at the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest.

Ikea buys its franchise in Bucharest
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has bought its franchise in Romania, according to a statement by the company today (Fri).

MP proposes a ban on human cloning
A Romanian MP wants to ban human cloning by law.

Romanians bought fewer used German cars last year
Romanians bought 65.3 per cent fewer second hand cars from Germany last year, according to data released today (Fri) by the German Federal Statistics Office.

Bucharest-Bacelona flight interrupted by depressurisation
A plane owned by state-owned airline Tarom had to return to Henri Coanda airport today (Fri) due to technical problems.

Cigarettes factory found at farm
An illicit cigarette factory has been discovered by police at a farm in Mihail Kogalniceanu in Constanta county in southern Romania.

Traditional food fair in Bucharest this weekend
A traditional food fair is going to take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest.

Parents used their son to sell heroin
Two parents who used their teenager son to transport and sell heroin have been arrested by police in Bucharest.