Ten kilometres of roads was what stood between the new Nikopol-Turnu Magurele ferry line on Danube and its launch date, Nikopol mayor Valerii Zhelyazkov told Bulgarian BTA news agency on August 16 2009
 
"We are ready to launch the ferry once the road Nikopol-Pleven is completed," he said, noting that there were still 10 kilometres left.
 
Construction works were expected to finish by the end of September which means that the new ferry line could be launched in October. Earlier plans were for it to be launched in September.   
 
Zhelyazkov took part in the first dummy run of the new ferry line between the Bulgarian town of Nikopol and the Romanian town of Turnu Magurele, the narrowest point between the two countries along the river.
 
The trip will last between eight and 10 minutes, he told BTA. Each of the two ferryboats is supposed to make 12 trips a day both ways, carrying up to six heavy vehicles and 30 light motor vehicles.
 
The total cost of the project is five million euro.
 
The contracts for building the new ferry complex were signed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2004 and construction works started a year later. Works, however, have been delayed several times since.
 
Currently, there are three ferry lines between Romania and Romania: Vidin – Calafat, Silistra- Kalarash and Oryahovo-Beket.  Another ferryboat is planned at Lom-Rastu.
 
There is only one bridge connection between the two countries at Rousse- Giurgiu. A second bridge is currently being constructed at Vidin-Calafat with a deadline set for 2010.