{{For|other bridges over the Danube|List of crossings of the Danube}} {{Short description|Bridge connecting Romania and Bulgaria}} {{Infobox bridge |bridge_name = Giurgiu–Ruse Bridge |native_name = |native_name_lang = |image = Danube Bridge border crossing.JPG |image_size = |alt = |caption = |official_name = |other_name = Friendship Bridge |carries = Two lanes of road and railway traffic, pedestrians |crosses = [[Danube]] |location = Between [[Giurgiu]], [[Romania]] and [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Ruse]], [[Bulgaria]], at river kilometre 488.70 |maint = |id = |designer = V. Andreev<br/>N. Rudomazin<br/>Georgi Ovcharov (decoration) |design = [[Truss bridge]] |material = |pierswater = |length = {{convert|2223|m|ft|abbr=on}} |width = |height = |mainspan = |spans = |load = |clearance = |below = {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}} |traffic = |builder = |begin = 1952 |complete = |open = 20 June 1954 |life = |preceded = |followed = |heritage = |collapsed = |closed = |toll = |map_cue = |map_image = |map_alt = |map_text = |map_width = |coordinates = {{coord|43|53|22|N|26|0|19|E|type:landmark}} |extra = }}
The '''Danube Bridge''' (also known as the '''Friendship Bridge''';<ref name="rough" /><ref name="lonely" /> {{langx|bg|Мост на дружбата}}, ''Most na druzhbata'' or, more commonly, {{lang|bg|Дунав мост}}, ''Dunav most''; {{langx|ro|Podul Prieteniei}} or ''Podul de la Giurgiu'') is a [[steel]] [[truss bridge]] over the [[Danube River]] connecting the [[Bulgaria]]n bank to the south with the [[Romania]]n bank to the north and the cities of [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Ruse]] and [[Giurgiu]] respectively. It is one of only two bridges connecting Romania and Bulgaria, the other one being the [[New Europe Bridge]] between the cities of [[Vidin]] and [[Calafat]].
==History== [[File:Romania Postage Stamp - Friendship.jpg|thumb|left|The projected bridge on a 1948 stamp]]
Opened on 20 June 1954<ref>[http://valahia.jurnalgiurgiuvean.ro/category/istorie/istorie-locala/ The history of "The Danube" bridge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901030311/http://valahia.jurnalgiurgiuvean.ro/category/istorie/istorie-locala/ |date=2011-09-01 }} {{in lang|ro}}</ref> and designed by Soviet engineers V. Andreev and N. Rudomazin,<ref>{{cite web | publisher = sprintinfo.ru | year = 2009 | url = http://sprintinfo.ru/view.php?page=stat&read=yes&mess=1235991364 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130417192219/http://sprintinfo.ru/view.php?page=stat&read=yes&mess=1235991364 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2013-04-17 | title = Лужнецкий мост, г. Москва | work = sprintinfo.ru | accessdate = 2013-03-01 }}</ref> the bridge is {{convert|2223.52|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and was, at the time, the only bridge over the Danube shared by Bulgaria and Romania, with other traffic being served by [[ferry|ferries]] 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 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".<ref name="rough">{{cite book |last1=Bousfield |first1=Jonathan |first2=Dan |last2=Richardson |title= Rough guide to Bulgaria |edition=4 |year=2002 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-85828-882-7 |page=203 }}</ref><ref name="lonely">{{cite book |last1=Watkins |first1=Richard |first2=Christopher |last2=Deliso |title=Bulgaria |edition=3 |year=2008 |publisher=Lonely Planet Publications |isbn=978-1-74104-474-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bulgaria00watk/page/271 271] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/bulgaria00watk }}</ref>
[[Border control]] 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]].
Both Romania and Bulgaria became a part of the [[Schengen Area|Schengen area]] on 1 January, 2025, therefore border control is expected to cease operations on 30 June 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Въвеждат временен граничен контрол на вътрешната българо-румънска граница |url=https://trafficnews.bg/sviat/vavezhdat-vremenen-granichen-kontrol-vatreshnata-balgaro-331262/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Trafficnews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bulgaria Joins Schengen for Land Travel: Border Controls Adjusted with Greece and Romania - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/230083/Bulgaria+Joins+Schengen+for+Land+Travel:+Border+Controls+Adjusted+with+Greece+and+Romania |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=www.novinite.com}}</ref>
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.
{{wide image|Rousse-Giurgiu Bridge.jpg|1030px|align-cap=center|A panorama of the Danube Bridge as seen from Ruse|100%|left}}{{clear}}
==Tolls== The following [[toll road|toll]]s apply for crossing the Danube Bridge:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.untrr.ro/road-transport-information/bridge-tolls.html#.VJnueDMAA|title=Bridge Tolls, 2018 - UNTRR|access-date=2014-12-23|archive-date=2018-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522042835/https://www.untrr.ro/road-transport-information/bridge-tolls.html#.VJnueDMAA|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! style="text-align:left"| Vehicle ! style="text-align:center"| [[Euro]] |- | Up to 8+1 seats; Up to 3.5 t | 6 euro |- | Trucks up to 7.5 t; Vehicles between 9 and 23 seats | 12 euro |- | Trucks up to 12 t | 18 euro |- | Trucks over 12 t with up to 3 axles; Vehicles with over 23 seats | 25 euro |- | Trucks over 12 t with 4 or more axles | 37 euro |}
==Gallery==
<gallery> File:Pont_de_l%27amiti%C3%A9_Rouss%C3%A9-Giurgiu.jpg|[[Romania]]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]]–[[Istanbul]]) in winter Freundschaftsbruecke Portal.jpg|The [[colonnade]] portal </gallery>
== See also == * [[European route E70]] * [[European route E85]] * [[DN5]] road in Romania * [[Căile Ferate Române Line 900|CFR Line 902]] (Giurgiu – [[Bucharest]]) and CFR Line 903 (Giurgiu – [[Videle]]) in Romania * [[Danube Bridge 2]], another bridge connecting Bulgaria and Romania * [[List of bridges in Bulgaria]] * [[List of bridges in Romania]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Friendship Bridge (Danube)}} *{{Structurae|id=20003718|title=Giurgio-Ruse Bridge}} * ''[http://hdtd.typepad.com/hdtd/2003/10/the-bridge-to-ruse.html Halfway down the Danube]'', a short story about crossing the bridge
{{Crossings navbox |structure = [[List of crossings of the Danube|Bridges]] |place = [[Danube]] |bridge = Giurgiu–Ruse Friendship Bridge |upstream = [[New Europe Bridge]] ---- ''[[Constantine's Bridge (Danube)|Constantine's Bridge]] (historical)'' |downstream = [[Cernavodă Bridge]] }}
{{coord|43|53|25.91|N|26|0|15.45|E|display=title}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Truss bridges]] [[Category:Bridges in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Bridges in Romania]] [[Category:Bridges over the Danube]] [[Category:Bridges completed in 1954]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Ruse, Bulgaria]] [[Category:Giurgiu]] [[Category:International bridges]] [[Category:Bulgaria–Romania border crossings]] [[Category:Railway bridges in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Railway bridges in Romania]] [[Category:Road-rail bridges]] [[Category:Steel bridges]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Giurgiu County]] [[Category:Bulgaria–Soviet Union relations]] [[Category:Romania–Soviet Union relations]] [[Category:Toll bridges]] [[Category:Bulgaria–Romania relations]] [[Category:Soviet foreign aid]] [[Category:European route E85]] [[Category:Double-decker bridges]] [[Category:1954 establishments in Bulgaria]] [[Category:1954 establishments in Romania]]