Improved nodes Giurgiu-Byala for better connection to TEN-T infrastructure

The common challenge of both partners is poorly developed road infrastructure to ensure better connectivity at the TEN-T and better exchange of knowledge in order to improve the local public transport and traffic safety.The quality of infrastructure networks grow slowly over time,lagging well behind the growth in demand for transport.All localities from RO side link by County road 412A – communes Adunatii Copaceni,Darasti-Vlasca, Novaci and the city of Mihailesti and Byala Municipality(BY) are tertiary nodes but not well connected to TEN-T, situation that leads to poor competitiveness, poor mobility and traffic issues.Quality of infrastructure networks is a major factor to attract (foreign) firms and their investments.Most important barrier to road infrastructure development for the 2 partners is the financial barrier.Overall objective of B-TeN is to improve the joint transport system through effective connection of Giurgiu (GR) and BY communities with core and comprehensive TEN-T transport network.The developed under B-TeN transport networks in the cb region will facilitate interregional cooperation and will help to increase competitiveness of the business sector, labor mobility and, however, to sustainable regional development. Rehabilitation of 17,33 km roads infrastructure, - 12,53 km in Gr and 4,8 km in By- will improve safety traffic conditions, competitiveness of both partners, will allow better exploitation of tourism potential & will improve the cooperation capacity of the 2 partners in transport and safety traffic issues¬ only. A rehabilitated road infrastructure will allow improved travel time&predictability for a journey, help reduce pollution to limit traffic jams. B-TeN will contribute to the consolidation of a sustainable EU & cross-border transport system connected to the main TEN-T network.All B-TeN activities contribute to the achievement of the Programme output & result indicators targeted by this call, as follows: I1 –17,33 km, which represent 43,26 % from the Programme indicator; I2 – a traffic study, joint monitoring system, 2 black-spot maps for areas of Gr. County & BY, awareness raising campaign for safety traffic to facilitate the connection of tertiary nodes to TEN-T infrastructure: 5, which represent 22,73 from the Programme indicator to be achieved by the present call; I5 - 7.975.000 €, 15,83 % from the Programme indicator; I6 - 29450 inhabitants - 6621 inhabitants))&7923 inhabitants (Mihailesti city with Novaci & Popesti villages included)&14906 inhabitant from BY which represent 4,72 % of Programme target. In order to capitalize on the advantages of the geographic situation, the two communities needs the rehabilitated road infrastructure connected to the main EU & cross-border transport nodes.Although the localities connected by road infrastructure proposed for rehabilitation – County road 412A - in this project are not situated at the border with Bulgaria, but in cross-border area, this road proposed for rehabilitation are not only of local importance (connecting tertiary nodes with one another) but have cross-border relevance connecting tertiary nodes to National Road 6 & EU road E771 & to National Road 5, part of EU Road E85, core TEN-T to important crossing point GR-Ru. Also, BY Municipality is an tertiary node to TEN-T & the roads proposed for rehabilitation aren’t only of local importance, but connecting the municipality of BY to the TEN-T through the NR II51 & III501. With the realization of the B-TeN project, it will be possible for an alternative route II-51 to the intersection at a crossroad with a first-class road I5, part of the TEN-T, which will serve all II-51 passes as well as the whole population of the city of BY. Interventions of the street network in BY district will ease the traffic of vehicles on the road II54 to the TEN-T (first-class road I5) serving both the residents of the neighborhood & the traveling from & to the neighboring municipality of Tsenovo. core TEN-T infrastructure.Improving the infrastructure of the two partners will contribute to the economic growth & sustainable development of the cross-border area, contributing to the provision of faster & safety traffic & mobility conditions for the population of the two municipalities & for the persons in transit. Jointly addressing the issue of developing road infrastructure & creating joint mechanisms, it will contribute to traffic safety, economic growth, administrative interaction & best practice exchange.B-TeN will improve traffic conditions,primarily for participants in it,but secondly,more importantly for the communities in the border region by reducing pollution&especially by reducing waiting time in traffic & increase the predictability of travel time road distances.B-TeN provides an original solution through development of the joint traffic management system with application that will receive real-time data from the sensors of the traffic monitoring system.App will be available for all users: access instantaneous traffic information on routes, push notifications regarding news with high impact on traffic, access to road surface information, share road traffic on social media, send accident,traffic density,road works, vehicle breakdown information which they came across in traffic, issues to be shared among app users. Users will send information in app = help to real-time update traffic info,incidents & proposals for new measures. This approach will build on the traffic monitoring system by turning users into objective partners in traffic management, elaborate Blackspot Maps for both partners to show highly concentrated road casualties,for disabilities people will be special facilities- acoustic&movable traffic lights, guide-bands for blinds,electrically operated traffic lights at pedestrian crossings provided with Braille paddles on the pushbutton.B-TeN will be a solid experience for the administrative cooperation on common challenges&for future collaborations. Through B-TeN, will be developed awareness raising to: promote better connectivity in cb area, foster eco-driving skills among the general population, promote sustainable mobility habits, promote the advantages of using the rehabilitates roads, promote traffic safety measures. Also, the materials used in the construction works will be modern & environmentally friendly. The results of project implementation are sustainable&a proper initial framework for the implementation of other border area, in terms of economic trade, labor mobility, urban-rural disparities elimination, educational&cultural exchanges, access to education, joint intervention in emergency situations etc. Budget is 7975000 €.

The works for "Rehabilitation DJ412A: Adunații Copăceni - Dărăști Vlașca - Novaci - Popești - Mihăilești" started on 15.09.2020. The infrastructure works have been finalized. Work in Byala started in early May 2020 and was completed from 05.04.2021. Territorial Administrative Unit - Giurgiu County and Byala Municipality have completed the activities regarding the development of 2 maps with black dots for areas with dangerous traffic and the traffic study. The development of the traffic management plan was completed on 04.10.2019. The study "New approaches in the field of traffic management and traffic safety measures in the territory of Byala and Giurgiu" was developed on 27.07.2020. The project website is available at https://b-ten.info/ for LB and for B2 http://blackspots.eu. The site is a module of an integrated information system for road safety measures and allows the visualization of road accidents that occurred in Giurgiu-Byala area in the last five years in an interactive form - as a dynamic digital map, which in an interface user-friendly can identify areas where these accidents occur. These locations are called "black spots" - points where accidents are more frequent than the average statistical levels for the road infrastructure.

Project results and outputs indicators: Programme output and result indicators targeted by this call, as follows: I1 – Total length of reconstructed and upgraded roads is 17,33 km, which represent 43,26 % from the Programme indicator to be achieved by the present call; I2 – Number of joint mechanisms (a traffic study, joint traffic management system, two black-spot maps for areas of Giurgiu County and Byala Municipality, awareness raising campaign for safety traffic) to facilitate the connection of tertiary nodes to TEN-T infrastructure: 5, which represent 22,73 % from the Programme indicator to be achieved by the present call; I5 - Financial indicator: 7.975.000 euro, which represent 15,83 % from the Programme indicator to be achieved by the present call for the Priority Axis 1; I6 - Cross border population served by modernized infrastructure leading to TEN-T: 29450 inhabitants - 6621 inhabitants (Adunatii Copaceni Commune with Darasti Vlasca village included)) and 7923 inhabitants (Mihailesti city with Novaci and Popesti villages included) inhabitanst and 14906 inhabitant from Byala Municipality which represent 4,72 % from the Programme target. Target groups: Individual citizens, public sector, private companies.