EBRD lends EUR 12 million to upgrade Sfantu Gheorghe infrastructure

Newsroom 08/11/2010 | 14:58

The EBRD is lending EUR 12 million to the city of Sfantu Gheorghe, as part of the bank’s Urban Road Management and Rehabilitation Framework.The loan will address the urgent infrastructure needs of Sfantu Gheorghe, capital of the county of Covasna. The proceeds will be used to finance the modernization of streets and public lighting improvements in the city center.

Works include the upgrade of 34 kilometers of primary and secondary streets through the replacement of asphalt and pavements, plus the construction of new cycle lanes and pedestrian areas. The project also involves the replacement of existing high-pressure mercury-based lamps with energy-efficient street illumination technology, including installation of a central lighting management system that will allow automated lighting control and energy monitoring.

This is the EBRD’s first project developed with special consideration for gender issues in accordance with the bank’s Gender Action Plan. Particular attention has been paid to the needs and priorities of women in the community, especially with regard to the paving of pedestrian areas and the provision of public lighting, which will improve the overall levels of safety and security in Sfantu Gheorghe.

In October the EBRD provided a similar loan to the municipality of Sibiu to finance the city’s street repair program. The bank’s Urban Road Management and Rehabilitation Framework features performance-based road contracting that is intended to improve the quality of road management and maintenance.

Since the beginning of its operations in Romania the EBRD has committed over EUR 4.8 billion to various sectors of the country’s economy, mobilizing additional investment in excess of EUR 8 billion.