The Romanian capital slowly changes the way it looks, and it's not only through private investments that new projects are created. Even through the pace of works is slow, new projects initiated by public authorities - namely the Bucharest City Hall - are lined up to go off the ground, or underground, in some cases, in the next years. These come after two landmark projects were finally delivered this year: the Basarab flyover and the National Stadium in Bucharest. We looked at some of the ones that are expected to change the face of the capital city in the future.

By Irina Popescu

Several underground car parks will be built in Romania's capital city in order to solve the lack of parking places. A planned cable car that will be both a tourism attraction and means of public transport is still in the project phase. New metro lines are planned for Bucharest in order to improve the underground public transport network, while a new route should link the southern part to the northern part of the capital city. These project are in various stages and the public can comment on them through the public consultation system, provided they check the Bucharest City Hall's website (in Romanian only) often enough to learn about new initiatives.

Lascar Catargiu underground parking

The City Hall plans an underground parking in Lascar Catargiu area in the capital city where the currently improvised parking will be arranged as a public square. Under this public space  an underground parking on two levels will be arranged, bringing 36 parking places. In order to start works on the new parking, the Urban Area Plan will have to be approved by the General Council of Bucharest. Find several technical details here.

Underpass and underground car park in Charles de Gaulle

Another underground parking to be built in Bucharest is in the one in Charles de Gaulle Square, according to a City Hall’s notice of intent. The new parking space will have three levels and 603 parking places. The entrance in the parking will be connected the underpass that will be built in Charles de Gaulle Square by the Romanian companies Romstrade and Metroul SA. The contract, financed with budget funds, has been awarded on August 1 this year and will last for three years. The underpass will be built on Aviatorilor blvd.’s direction and will have a total length of 1,392 meters. The construction of the underpass works will start at the end of this year. Find more details here.

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Dorobantilor and Walter Maracineanu underground car parks

Another underground parking is planned for the Dorobantilor Square. The parking would have an area of approximately 5,058 sqm, two levels and a capacity of 254 places. The entry in the parking will be done from Calea Dorobantilor street, on both sides. The project also includes a pedestrian underpass and the execution of the work has a 12-18 months term. The Walter Maracineanu area in the capital city will also have an underground parking. This car park will also have two levels and 240 parking places. The City Hall plans to build the parking at Walter Maracineanu through a public-private partnership, and the term of the execution is 12-18 months.

Universitate underground parking

Bucharest drivers will have another underground parking in the capital city from March 2012, according to the Bucharest Mayor, Sorin Oprescu. The car park is currently under construction and is located in the Universitate Square. This parking will have three levels and a capacity of 420 places, and is being built through a public – private partnership with a consortium made of Terratest Cimentaciones S.L., Alius Inver Siones S.L and Simex S.A. Those who will park the car here will have to pay EUR 0.36 per hour.

The car park is being built on a rich historical site. Human remains dating back 400 years ago were discovered on the site last year.  According to archaeologists, 40 human skeletons have been discovered in what seems to have been a cemetery located near two churches from the 16th and 17th centuries. This is the second archaeological discovery since works started on the underground car park downtown Bucharest. The ruins of a 300-year old academia have been unearthed earlier last year, along with water pipes from that period. These have not stopped works on the car park and according to previous statement, the archaeological findings will be somehow included in the design of the car park.

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The route north-south Buzesti-Berzei-Uranus

The route north-south Buzesti - Berzei- Uranus project, which should make it easier for drivers to cross Bucharest, has been debated since 2000, when it was included in the Bucharest General Urban Plan. The segment Buzesti - Berzei - Vasile Parvan has been declared a public utility segment since 2006. The route will be 12.5 km long and will have three lanes in each direction. It will also include an 800 meters long underground tunnel.

In June this year, the works at the route were stopped because of NGOs that had not agreed with how expropriations were made and demolition permits were given for buildings with historic status or protected areas. However,  works re-started in July this year.

Cable car across Bucharest

Bucharest’s Sector 2 City Hall plans to build a cable car (in drawing) between the House of Press and Pantelimon street in the capital city, with the total investment amounting to EUR 20 million. The cable car’s route will extend over 10 km and will run at a height of about 50 meters off the ground, while the highest point will reach 85 meters. It will have a speed ​​of 5 meters per second, and the carry capacity of a single cable car will be 1,500 people per hour. The cable car will be both a tourism attraction and a means of public transport, and the technical project is made by two companies, namely Kasol Group and Atrix Service.

The cable car project has been recently delayed by the Bucharest Technical Commission on Urbanism, the members asking new data from the designers of the project. Without the Commission's approval, the project can not go forward.

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New metro lines and stations

Over 60 new metro stations are planned to be opened in the next 10 years in Bucharest, following an investment of EUR 8.5 billion, according to the Romanian Transport Minister, Anca Boagiu.

The Bucharest Metro line 6 will connect the 1 Mai metro station to the Bucharest Otopeni airport, along the DN1 road. It will take five years for the new line to be built and works are estimated to start in the second half of 2012 or the beginning of 2013. Two consortia have submitted offers to become technical consultants for the Line 6 of the Bucharest metro, which will connect the capital’s downtown to the Otopeni airport. Padeco Japan partnered Oriental Consultants Ltd Japan, Metroul Romania, Seneca Group International, Systra France, while the association between Ingerop International France, Ingerosec Corporation Japan, High-Point Redel UK, Iptana Romania and Salfo submitted the second offer. The two consortia entered the race for the EUR 60 million contract which will last for 15 months.

The other metro line will connect Bragadiru and Voluntari in Bucharest (M7) and will be built through a public-private partnership. This will be the 7th metro line in the capital city and the companies that will do the design, assistance and consultancy for this project are PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Consultants, PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit, Metroul SA and Salans Moore and Associates SCA. Metroul SA has previosuly won bids for various segments of the Bucharest metro and is owned by a group of Romanian individuals. The new metro line will have a length of about 25 kilometers and 30 stations. The Romanian Ministry of Transport estimates that the project will be completed in a period of 7-8 years after beginning the work.

Plans have also been made for a metro line connecting Drumul Taberei, the Bucharest neighborhood without metro connection, to the rest of the city. This line (M5)  should connect Drumul Taberei to Pantelimon.

Reporter: Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com; Editor: Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com

(photo sources: Photoxpress, Bucharest Municipality, Bucharest Metro)