Romania’s EU-Funded Bridge Plagued by Flaws Despite $500M Cost

Once hailed as a technological marvel and one of Europe's largest bridges, Romania's Braila Bridge is now plagued with problems. And this is not the first time. Recent reports show unevenness on its surface, measuring up to ten centimetres. The Romanian national infrastructure company has warned of discomfort in traffic while repairs are under way. Shortly after it was inaugurated in July last year, a video showing a man pulling out loose bolts from the bridge with his bare hands was widely shared on the internet. That prompted an investigation whicch concluded that more than 400 bolts were not securely fastened. It wasn't the only problem. Cracks in the surface of the bridge began to appear, and officials claimed they were caused by execution errors. The bridge took about five years to be built and was funded mainly by the EU. The bridge was constructed by an Italian construction giant, and a Japanese firm. So who's to blame for all those errors?
Across The Balkans, hosted by Nafisa Latic, is TRT World’s programme that focuses specifically on the issues and fault lines shaping Southeast Europe today.
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[@cata2322]

Japanese: quality and precision Italians: forget about it

[@MKSense1]

In Italy mafia build and renovates public buildings , even schools. Imagine how that will sound in quality and who can oppose them for quality control issues.

[@michelobala6846]

Japanese work only the cable part and they make good, the bridge will not fall even if it will be an eartquake but the italians do the rest and they did very bad

[@fireleaks434]

romanian and italian mafia are very close

[@MrKh4O]

The Italian construction company messed it up big time.

[@ekesandras1481]

Romanian subcontractors messed up.

[@RedEyeification]

​@@ekesandras1481 ABSOLUTELY RIGHT 100%.

[@adrianmaierus8917]

​@@ekesandras1481chiar daca ai dreptate, dirigintii de santier sunt responsabili de calitate, adica ala care a semnat contractul si a luat banii...

[@fireleaks434]

romanian and italian mafia are very close

[@torentmonkey]

@@ekesandras1481 if you have a shepherd and sheep, the shepherd is responsible to herd the sheep. You cant fk up at this level just with cheap labour and put it on the workers that have overseers.

[@carcotasu081]

And that's why you never hire italian companies for infrastructure projects.

[@MKSense1]

Maybe is politician faults who rush things up for political agenda.

[@carcotasu081]

@@MKSense1 What rush? The Italian firm is 100% at fault for the bad asphalt. The Japanese did the job with making the bridge structurally sound.

[@fireleaks434]

romanian and italian mafia are very close

[@andrasbodo]

sORRY !!!THE ASPHALT IS ROMANIAN ...NOT ITALIAN - NOR JAPANESE...!!!!

[@Mr10b]

That's a bit of an exaggeration. I mean the the only real problem is the fact the italian builder (WEBUILD former ASTALDI) screed up the solution for the asphalt on the bridge (which made it start cracking rather quickly) and then refused to change it despite the fact it proved to be a mess. So the romanian government refused to sign for the bridge till the builder solves the problem. While the japanese builder (it did the concrete structures, the steel cables, etc.) was very serious and did a good job, the italian one was very difficult to work with, it came with more lawyers than engineers and started to contest every clause in the contract, try to get more money than it was established, pushed the deadlines as far as possible and then refused to finish a small connection road leading to the bridge trying to force the romanian government to accept the bridge as it is. Romania has a bad experience with italian companies winning contracts for motorways, different public roads and then simply not doing their part of the deal. Companies like Tirrena Scavi, Todini, etc. got all their contracts cancelled for not delivering their part of the deal and were banned from participating in any new public acquisition for the next 3 years.

[@andrasbodo]

ASPHALT AND SURFACE IS DONE BY ROMANIAN COMPANY-

[@antonbadea1447]

Who selected the Italian Company for the Bridge Project is to blame 100%. They were known from other projects and / or contracts. problems, still they were nominated again and again. Someone benefitted at the expense of the EU and Romanian State funds. Also, two more factors are to blame: - The Romanian Company /Agency responsible for the supervision of Project; and - The Romanian government/Traffic Police for allowing Ukrainian/ foreign /Romanian overloaded huge transport vehicles crossing the bridge.

[@mastereve]

No one selected them, they won the auction.

[@madhunter6420]

Because our politicians stole 80% of that budget 😂

[@cristiannec9116]

nobody is checking the Ukraineans trucks loaded at over 40 tons most at the time. Bad asphalt and overloaded trucks are to blame.

[@ekesandras1481]

where are the trucks going to? To the harbour in Tulcea? Everything else wouldn't make any sense. The road into Northern Dobrugea towards the Delta is a dead end.

[@mihaelac2472]

You can go to Constanța, the biggest port on the Black Sea.

[@adrianmaierus8917]

Ma lași!? Podul trebuie sa reziste si la trecerea blindatelor si transporturilor agabaritice!

[@cristiannec9116]

@@adrianmaierus8917 asa este, trebuie sa reziste doar ca 1- prima data am mentionat asfaltul rau. El e principala cauza probabil. 2- eu trec des pe pod si au fost in vara asta camioane bara la bara, era podul plin. De altfel, toate soselele din zona noastra sunt afectate de camioanele care, mai ales in campania agricola, merg pe asfaltul f incins si inmuiat, cu tara mult depasita. Soferii romani sunt "gelosi" pe confratii lor ucraineni pt ca intre ei, se stie ca acestia din urma nu sunt opriti la controale/ cantar. Acum te las.

[@cristiannec9116]

@@ekesandras1481 Cereals and general cargo - Constanta port + Agigea. Fuel truck - to Midia.

[@dangherasim-n4v]

There was a time when Romania built roads, buildings, bridges but today they got no engineers, doctors or other qualified personnel, combined with corruption all this leads to a state of decadent situation in a country otherwise rich.

[@Un_pelican_pe_varf_de_munte]

Romania ist not Balkans!! Just 3% of our territory! 🤫

[@algernonis69]

Geographically is 3%, mentality is 100%😂😂

[@florynake93]

Corruption is to blame.

[@cosdache]

From Italian and Japanese builders

[@Yu-hx5jo]

Italy - all style but no quality

[@MKSense1]

If you build something in Italy you have to guard the builders during construction.

[@abcMW1989]

When she pronounced the name of the city Brăila, I wasn't sure what she was talking about. As soon as I saw it written, I understood. You need to do your research to be more credible.

[@andewch8522]

Why speaking English with so evident rusian accent?

[@lucaciarnold-vasile9022]

If not was the war in Ukraine this bridge never was built 🤣🤣

[@sabintattoo]

O engleza de șant, deja ma doare capul dupa 2 min si mai foloseste si basically 😂😂😂😂

[@zfuru]

basically, you are correct

[@CristinelCostea]

In our place the problem with the large trucks that are crossing the bridge is that they weight double by normal, so one way they are going empty and the bridge is normal and the sense they are going back and full loaded the asphalt is meting under the overloaded trucks. It is a authority whitch it should check the weight of the large trucks but like all thwe other institution in this country they provide Mita and things are going the same. The same is with the poluating cars wich are passing polution test with Mita even if they polluate 200 - 300 times more. All our streets are full of old diesel german cars and nobody se the smoke! Shame of Them!

[@nekakampeputin1545]

Golden Fake Bridge!

[@milirotar]

Corruption in Romania is like a cancer

[@madhunter6420]

uncurable and forever

[@Buciasda33]

Of course my horse. I'm Romanian and I suggest taking back the European Funds for the said bridge. Also, add 200% interest rate.

[@AIEnhanced-ts5ko]

From the Italians?

[@bogdanmihai4599]

You throw the baby with the bath water. You very smart my friend

[@jotr.9786]

made in romania 😂

[@criss93rou]

by italians

[@celestindimitriu3675]

made in ROmania indeed only by Italians 🙄

[@stizan9185]

Ce e asa de fain sa ti vorbesti tara de kkt in fata străinilor, n ai pic de creier.

[@ciprian1979]

I think your attention span it's around 3 seconds-you can't read/hear/see more than the title. Almost nothing about this brigde, except the location, it's ''made in Romania''. Not even the money (well.. the most of the sum) payed for it's construction(the money is from the EU)!

[@jotr.9786]

@@ciprian1979 something tells me they hired local workers

[@user-nt7os5cg7j]

its romaania, what did you expect?

[@alincirstescu4732]

Yeah,sure ..with an italian company who also delayed the constructions works...

[@MuhammedIbraheem-qr9go]

😂😂😂 the Romanians pulled an andrew tate on the eu goverment 😂😂😂

[@Zdamaneta]

It was an italian and japanese company, we had so many problems with these foreign companies, especially with the italian ones involved in the highway constructions.

[@cosdache]

​@@Zdamaneta si totusi aceste companii străine din Vest nu sunt niciodată anchetate . Pot să facă ce vor.

[@MuhammedIbraheem-qr9go]

@Zdamaneta mafias working with Mafias that's what usually happens

[@Zdamaneta]

@@MuhammedIbraheem-qr9go I mean if you put it that way, we are run by mafia everywhere in the world since all politicians are mafia.

[@MKSense1]

@@MuhammedIbraheem-qr9go That is true. In Italy to make peace with Mafia the politicians makes deals with them to keep it "quiet" . So Imagine if you can oppose to those deals and not agree with their satisfaction.