The Danube Bridge (also known as the Friendship Bridge; , ''Most na druzhbata'' or, more commonly, , ''Dunav most''; or ''Podul de la Giurgiu'') is a

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

over the

Danube River The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important riv ...

connecting the

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

n bank to the south with the

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n bank to the north and the cities of Ruse and

Giurgiu Giurgiu (; ; ) is a city in southern Romania. The seat of Giurgiu County, it lies in the historical region of Muntenia. It is situated amongst mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube facing the Bulgarian city of Ruse on the op ...

respectively. It is one of only two bridges connecting Romania and Bulgaria, the other one being the

New Europe Bridge The New Europe Bridge, also known as Danube Bridge 2 (; ) is a road and rail bridge between the cities of Vidin, Bulgaria, and Calafat, Romania. It is the second bridge on the shared section of the Danube between the two countries. It is an e ...

between the cities of

Vidin Vidin (, ) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since ...

and

Calafat Calafat () is a city in Dolj County, southern Romania, in the region of Oltenia. It lies on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Vidin, to which it is linked by the Calafat-Vidin Bridge, opened in 2013. After the destruction of the b ...

History

Opened on 20 June 1954 and designed by Soviet engineers V. Andreev and N. Rudomazin, the bridge is long and was, at the time, the only bridge over the Danube shared by Bulgaria and Romania, with other traffic being served by

ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

and land routes. Decorations were designed by Bulgarian architect Georgi Ovcharov. The bridge has two decks; a two lane motorway and a railway. Sidewalks for pedestrians are also included. The central part of the bridge (85 m) is mobile and can be lifted for oversized boats passage. The maintenance of the mobile part is Romania's responsibility and is periodically checked. The bridge was constructed in two and a half years with the aid of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. The Soviets named it the "Friendship Bridge", but, since the fall of the communist regimes in both countries, the bridge got the more functional name of "Danube Bridge".

Border control Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

stations are present on the bridge, due to its serving as a border crossing between the two countries. Since January 2007 there is no more customs control and the passport/identity card control is done "on one desk" either by the Bulgarian or the Romanian border police, being an "internal border" within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. Both Romania and Bulgaria became a part of the

Schengen area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...

on 1 January, 2025, therefore border control is expected to cease operations on 30 June 2025. On 3 September 2011 the Bulgarian part of the bridge was opened, after two months of rehabilitation. There are a pair of rectangular towers supported by pillars on both ends.

Tolls

The following tolls apply for crossing the Danube Bridge:

Gallery

File:Pont_de_l%27amiti%C3%A9_Rouss%C3%A9-Giurgiu.jpg,

n side of the bridge in winter File:Danube_Bridge_from_the_train.jpg, Middle of the bridge seen from the '' Bosphorus Express'' train (

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

–

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

) in winter Freundschaftsbruecke Portal.jpg, The

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...

portal

References

External links

* *
Halfway down the Danube
', a short story about crossing the bridge {{Authority control Truss bridges Bridges in Bulgaria Bridges in Romania Bridges over the Danube Bridges completed in 1954 Buildings and structures in Ruse, Bulgaria Giurgiu International bridges Bulgaria–Romania border crossings Railway bridges in Bulgaria Railway bridges in Romania Road-rail bridges Steel bridges Buildings and structures in Giurgiu County Bulgaria–Soviet Union relations Romania–Soviet Union relations Toll bridges Bulgaria–Romania relations Soviet foreign aid European route E85 Double-decker bridges 1954 establishments in Bulgaria 1954 establishments in Romania

History

Tolls

Gallery

See also

References

External links