Nine O'Clock quoted Mr Gheorghe Udriste GM of Metrorex as saying that construction works on Bucharest subway's Main Line 4 will be completed by mid 2011 when the new subway stations will be put in use.

Mr Udriste added that "We have three types of construction works in progress: installing the subway line, general installations and finishing touches, and we will put these subway stations in use half way through next year."

The 1 Mai - Laromet subway section is part of Main Line 4 (Gara de Nord - Basarab - Laromet). Construction works on the Gara de Nord - 1 Mai section were completed in 2000, their costs surpassing EUR 60 million.

Likewise, the Metrorex official announced that the two consortiums that will build the Drumul Taberei - Universitate subway section will be selected this December, with the construction site set to be organized in the first half of 2011. The project, seeking to build a 9 kilometer subway line from Drumul Taberei to Universitate and Pantelimon, will be completed in 2015. The project consists of 14 subway stations and the procurement of 37 new subway trains that will be used on Main Line 5 and for replacing outdated subway trains.

At the same time, in the spring of 2011 Metrorex will select the consultant for the subway line that will connect Bucharest to the Otopteni Airport, with Japan offering a EUR 315 M loan in this sense.

Mr Constantin Dascalu secretary of state with the Transport Ministry has stated that the institution he represents will spend hundreds of millions of Euros from European funds this year, in contrast to spending only EUR 36 million in 2009.

He added that "Our approved projects surpass EUR 1 billion, with filed projects reaching an overall EUR 2 billion. Other projects will be filed by the end of the year."

(Sourced from www.nineoclock.ro)