The project targeting the complete reconstruction of the underground floor in the Unirii area in downtown Bucharest, namely the massive concrete slab that covers the busy Unirii Square, is set to start this fall. The financing contract, worth some RON 750 million, was signed on Monday, August 19.

The project, which is to start on October 1 at the latest, aims to replace the existing structure, which is almost 100 years old, according to the District 4 City Hall. The same source said that, by the end of this year, the work will not bring traffic restrictions to the area.

"Through the allocation of financial resources by the government, we are solving, after almost a century, one of the biggest challenges of Bucharest's infrastructure at the very center of the capital. The experts have pointed out, in time, how serious the state of the Unirii underground floor is, and our responsibility is to quickly find the best and most durable solution," said District 4 mayor Daniel Băluță.

"As of now, we are entering a short bureaucratic stage of the work authorization documents, but I am convinced that we will be able to start these activities on October 1 at the latest," he added.

The mayor also said that car and pedestrian traffic will not be restricted by the end of the year, regardless of when the works begin.

"Work will be done in three shifts so that the project can be completed on time," Daniel Băluță stated.

According to the District 4 City Hall, the specialists engaged in developing this project will also design the necessary works for the consolidation of the Unirii Underpass, which has also been classified in technical class IV - unsatisfactory, out of five possible. The technical solutions will take into account the rehabilitation of the resistance structure of the road tunnel, by lining and reinforcing the existing walls, as well as the complete restoration of the present superstructure.

At the same time, in parallel, as part of the above-mentioned works, the entire surface area of ​​Unirii Square will be landscaped with green spaces, squares, pedestrian areas, and other innovative solutions, the same source said.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Dudlajzov/Dreamstime.com)