IHI Group First Order Received for Large Suspension Bridge in Romania

-January 17, 2018-

　A member of IHI Group, IHI Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd. (IIS, Location: Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Akira Inoue), in a joint venture with the Italian construction company Astaldi, received an order for construction of the Braila suspension bridge from Romania's National Company for the Administration of Road Infrastructure and signed a construction contract on Monday, January 15.

　This order involved the design and construction of a suspension bridge (1,974.30 m total length, 1,120 m main span, four lanes) linking Braila, a major city in the east of Romania, with the opposite bank of the Danube, including approach bridges (approximately 110 m at each end) and a connecting road, with a total length of approximately 23 km. This project is the first order that the IHI Group received in the country. We believe that this order was won due to high regard for the company's previous achievements in construction of large bridges overseas and the knowledge it cultivated over many years. When complete, the suspension bridge will be the longest in Romania, with the third longest center span in the EU.

　Since joining the EU, Romania, the country with the largest land area in southeastern Europe, has given top priority to the development of road infrastructure inside the country. This current project is positioned as a strategic project for national infrastructure development and utilized the EU regional policy budget (EU structural fund) *1. Japan commenced economic cooperation with Romania in the 1990s through technical cooperation and cultural grant aid, and has cooperated with port and road development as well as railway construction. In this project too, Japan's advanced technical capability is expected to strengthen the economic Relation / Overseas Basesship between both countries.

　Crossing to the opposite bank of the Danube at Braila City is limited to using road detours exceeding 100 km or crossing by ship. However, the construction of the suspension bridge will simplify crossing the Danube and significantly improve the convenience of transportation. In addition, as the connecting road that is part of this project leads to an existing highway, it contributes to the efficiency of cargo distribution between the Port of Constanta, the largest port in the country, and the eastern region of Romania. It can contribute to economic revitalization within the EU.

　IIS has a wealth of experience in building large bridges. In addition to winning an order for the construction of a road bridge across Mumbai Bay in India in December last year, the company has constructed the Nhat Tan Bridge (Vietnam–Japan Friendship Bridge) in Vietnam and the Izmit Bay Crossing Bridge (Osman Gazi Bridge) in Turkey. To contribute to the development of other countries through the development of social infrastructure, we will continue to promote overseas bridge ordering activities in the future.

Project name	Suspended Bridge over the Danube in Braila Area
Construction location	Braila City, Romania
Ordering party	National Company for the Administration of Road Infrastructure
Contractor	Joint venture between Astaldi S.p.A and IHI Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd.
Construction period	January 2018 - December 2021

*1 EU regional policy budget (EU structural fund)
As part of its regional policy, the European Union (EU) provides support to its member countries in the form of investments through three types of structural funds, with the purpose of (1) economic and social cohesion, (2) an increase in competitiveness and the creation of jobs, and (3) regional cooperation across national borders in Europe.

 
[Attachment 1: Planned construction site]

 
[Attachment 2: Conceptional drawing]