September 13 (SeeNews) - Romania's transport ministry said on Thursday it has received notification from the European Commission (EC) about the approval of 1.39 billion euro ($1.61 billion) in financing for a project for the construction of a 14.2 km line that will link the capital city with the Henri Coanda International Airport in Otopeni.
Currently, Bucharest and Brussels are negotiating the maximum amount of non-reimbursable funds to be allocated through the Operational Program Infrastructure for the project, the transport ministry said in a press release.
The ministry requested the funds in December last year.
The final amount also depends on the discussions between the Romanian authorities, the European Commission and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) which will co-finance the project. The project will receive co-funding from the state budget, as well.
This would be the sixth line (M6) of the capital's metro network, which will include 12 stations between the 1 Mai station in northern Bucharest and the airport. Also, it will link Bucharest's biggest railway station with the airport.
The first steps in the implementation of the project were made in 2010 when Romania's finance ministry signed a 41.8 million yen ($ 401 million /356 million euro) loan deal with Japan International Cooperation Agency Bank (JICA), with the proceeds going for consulting services, design, supervision and to cover a third of the works for the resistance structure.
In October 2017, the EC provided 251.8 million euros to Romania to finance the extension of the fifth metro railway line in Bucharest. The new section will link the western part of the city center, from Raul Doamnei to Eroilor station, where lines 1 and 3 will be connected. Works are scheduled for completion in June 2018.
($ = 0.8607 euro)