Daniel B\u0103lu\u0163\u0103, the mayor of Bucharest’s District 4, signed the order to start work on the extension of the M4 subway line on Thursday, December 4.\u00a0The investment is valued at EUR 3.5 billion and the route will be 11 kilometers long, between Gara de Nord and Gara Progresul railway stations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The extension will have 14 new stations, according to the authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe extension of the M4 line will bring 58.6 million passengers per year by 2040. It is perhaps the clearest sign that we are entering a new stage for the capital. We are investing EUR 3.5 billion, over RON 17 billion, non-reimbursable European funds, attracted by District 4, to unite the north and south of the city through a modern, continuous, and predictable metro line,\u201d said Daniel B\u0103lu\u0163\u0103 at a press conference held alongside the Social Democrat (PSD) minister of transport, Ciprian \u015eerban.<\/p>\n
The subway extension will pass through the territories of Districts 1, 4, and 5 and the commune of Jilava, in Ilfov County.<\/p>\n
The project will have two years of planning and five years of execution, creating 5.600 temporary jobs and around 900 permanent ones. The building phase will not disrupt the traffic, according to the mayor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of infrastructure, the subway network grows by almost 22%, an unprecedented leap, through a single project. People will feel this directly. Less time wasted, fewer blockages, less stress,\u201d B\u0103lu\u0163\u0103 stated, according to Agerpres<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI assure citizens that the start of these works does not mean that traffic will be disrupted,\u201d added the District 4 mayor, who is currently running for general mayor of Bucharest.\u00a0<\/p>\n Transport minister Ciprian \u015eerban, in turn, added that the subway line extension is the largest infrastructure project in the capital. As both politicians are part of the Social Democratic Party, they also used the opportunity to campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n The signing is a welcome reprieve for the PSD candidate for the general mayor, who has recently been under fire due to two scandals. The first concerns the authorization issued in 2023 for an 11-story building right next to the Bellu Cemetery<\/a> in Bucharest.<\/p>\n The second regards the wealth of Daniel B\u0103lu\u021b\u0103\u2019s family. Journalists at Public Record<\/a> revealed that B\u0103lu\u021b\u0103\u2019s parents bought seven apartments and a penthouse with parking spaces and storage rooms in the former Rin Grand hotel in District 4. The two pensioners paid EUR 460,000 for the purchases.<\/p>\n