District 1, which manages the old Saligny bridge, is led by eng. Antonie Stefan, who was kind to answer our questions:

Railway Journal: The Anghel Saligny bridge, over a century old, is a work of art and, at the same, a monument. Can you summarize its history?

R.J.: Tell us more about the activity of District 1.

A.S.: The period maintenance, repair and painting of the Saligny bridge are the attributions of District . There is a very well-established program, with a five-year period, when we make revisions along the entire bridge. Repairs and revisions precede the painting works, which also have a five-year period. The personnel at District 1 comprises for team leaders and 32 employees qualified as specialized workers. Painting is done between April and September, and revision and repairs are down in the rest of the year, with any defects being recovered.

R.J.: What are the difficulties of tour work here?

A.S.: Of course, it is not simple to work on a bridge that is 100 years old, which needs rigorous maintenance of all its fittings, which are the most vulnerable parts.
As a district chief, I have a great responsibility, because maintenance and revision works involve a great deal of difficulty. The employees are tested each year, both medically and psychologically.
Even if the bridge is closed for around two years, we are keeping it functional. At this time, it only requires several repairs to be usable again at nominal loads.

 District 2, managed by engineer Tudor Francu, comprises the new bridge over the Danube, commissioned in 1987, which takes over all railway and road traffic in the area.

R.J.: Please present a summary of the main characteristics of the Cernavoda bridge.

Tudor Francu: The Cernavoda bridge has a length of 1,584 meters and weighs 9,000 tons, and the viaduct weighs 7,500 tons. The bridge has a modern look, built with more rigid parts than its "neighbor", the old Anghel Saligny bridge, which is more svelte. Railway traffic is carried by the two existing lines.

R.J.: How do you make the necessary controls for traffic safety?

R.J.: Are more ample modernization plans envisioned?

T.F.: No, there are none, but we want to modernize the means and equipment we are using, but it is not exactly simple, given the lack of money. Still, we have en ergometer to measure the thickness of the paint layer on metal surface, and elevating pumps for washing surfaces under pressure. The latest novelty is the introduction of walkie-talkies for better communication between district chiefs and the personnel working on the bridge.

R.J.: What is tour activity as district chief, here at the bridge?

T.F.: I am surveying and guiding the 25 people that are subordinated to me (specialized workers, metal workers, bridge inspectors, team leaders and material receivers-distributors).
Throughout the year, various works are being undertaken in the area: revision is done in the winter months, and the painting - in the summer. The working conditions are difficult: it is cold in the winter, there are drafts all the time, and most of the works are carried out 30 to 35 meters above water level.
One of the most important undertakings during the cold season is the verification of welding strips, because cracks appear and become visible in this period. So far, we have managed to detect any flaw on time. There has been no accident on the bridge since its construction.

District 3 mainly includes the Borcea Vechi bridge, over the Danube branch carrying the same name. District 3 is led by George Grozea.

R.J.: What is the current situation of the Borcea Bridge?

R.J.: Could the Borcea Vechi bridge be re-introduced into traffic?

G.G.: From our point of view, its is suitable for traffic, save for the bridge ends, which will undergo consolidation works. The bridge was subjected to capital repairs in 1997, with third parties, when a number of worn-out elements were replaced. The bridge is now in good order. The truth is that this construction, designed by Anghel Saligny, was built with a lost of mastery, and today, 104 years after it was commission, still presents itself very well.

R.J.: What else can you tell us about the activity in your district?

G.G.: District 3, besides the maintenance to our bridge, also manages, along with District 4, the other bridges and viaducts on lines 800 and 804, in Ialomita and Calarasi, within the Constanta Regional Railway Company. We revise these objectives every quarter of the year, and potentially challenged sites are verified once a month.

District 4, led by engineer Marcel Bordeianu, includes the Borea Nou bridge.

R.J.: You have taken over this construction as soon as it was commissioned. Tell us about it and your activity here.

Marcel Bordeianu: In January 1987 I took charge of the bridge, practically, several months after its inauguration. Until all works were completed, I was in charge of directing the workers. The Borcea Nou bridge is downstream of the old one, and the railway viaducts are independent of the motorway. The bridge is 972 meters long, and train speed at this moment is 100 km/h. The bridge itself, the portion over the water, is 420 m long, and the viaducts - to Fetesti, Bucuresti - 151 m, and to Constanta - 401 m.
The district carries out absolutely all works needed to maintain the bridge in working order, in the nest possible conditions: current maintenance, periodical revision, additional revisions between the mandatory five-year revisions, painting, repairs.
In 1992 we had problems with cracks in the main elements of the bridge, but they were eliminated in the first stage by our section, with the cooperation of other regional railway companies. Later, the bridge was consolidated according to the designer's solution.
The bridge includes a water and air installation and a compressed air station that has a major role in clearing dirt from beneath the tracks.

R.J.: What other measures are being taken to ensure proper operation of the bridge?

R.J.: Can you say that railway traffic is safe on this bridge?

M.B.: All Danube bridges, not only this one, undergo periodic measurements. We are only preoccupied with the bridge itself. The railroad is controlled by the L sections. Of course, if we notice a flaw, we notify them and the proper measures are taken immediately.
Therefore, the traffic safety is our achievement. Sometimes we have to impose certain traffic limitations, and during serious problems the bridge is even closed off. Our people need to investigate the bridge inch after inch. In a month's time, they parse it from one end to another and record everything that can be seen with the naked eye. The five-year revisions involve special equipment. From time to time, there are also ultrasound and magnetic powder tests, but they are costly at this time. We now have an ultrasonic defectoscope, which we will use once we acquire the specialized personnel.

R.J.: Did the SNCFR reorganization affect your activity?

M.B.: I could say it did, but in the way that it changed our name into CFR - SA. Work is the same for all of us here. Now all bridges in the radius of our section have expired their warranty periods. Problems are beginning to show up. The verification and testing period last until 1991-1992. Now we are becoming a new section, different from the old ones.