assembly of the superstructure of the bridge could not be delayed because of possible quality problems with the concrete. The Danube Bridge 2 consists of eight pillars that are in the non-navigable channel of Danube river, crossing from the low lying Bulgarian bank over the small island, followed by its four main pillars, numbered PB9, PB10, PB11 and PB12. The design was to have 13 pairs of stay cables attached to every main pillar in the navigable channel of the Danube river. By June 2010, only the bridge crossing over the small island had been built. The foundation of the pillars in the navigable channel of the river were built during the same year by special foundation contractor TERRATEST. Foundation per pier was composed by 24 in situ piles 2 m diameter and depths ranging between 68 and 80 m (one of the deepest in situ foundation project in Europe), executed by maritime means. The main pillars became clearly visible throughout 2011. In February 2012, the Bulgarian Minister of European Union Funds Management Tomislav Donchev said that he expected the bridge to be finished by the end of 2012. Throughout the year 2012 the bridge got into shape. Starting at PB9, the bridge deck was extended segment by segment and soon the first stay cables could be seen. By April 2012, only one segment in between the bridge decks of PB 9 and PB10 was still missing. After this gap was closed, one could walk halfway across the Danube river. The gap between the bridge decks of pillars PB10 and PB11 was closed during the summer. Despite the low water levels in the Danube river construction continued swiftly, working on the abutment A3, on the Romanian river bank. On 1 October 2012, the gap between the bridge deck at PB12 and the abutment A3 on the Romanian river bank was closed. On 3 October 2012, the remaining gap in the bridge was only . Bulgarian radio reporters found out about a technical problem: the difference in the height of the bridge deck between two sides of the gap was , so closing of the gap was not possible before both bridge decks were adjusted to the same height level. Bridge deck ready, but finishing works still lasted 8 months If the building process continued at the same speed, reportedly, one may have expected that the last gap, between pillars PB11