Elie Radu

Elie Radu (1853 to 1931) was a Romanian civil engineer and academic, born in Botoșani and trained at the École polytechnique in Brussels, where he took his diploma in 1877. Over about fifty years he completed more than sixty major projects, building railways, roads, bridges, public buildings and civic facilities. He worked with Anghel Saligny on the Ploiești to Predeal rail line and designed and built over 475 kilometres of railway. As chief of civil works for Bucharest from 1887 he built the underground water collection station at Bragadiru and the capital first water supply network, and with Dimitrie Leonida he made the first proposals for a Bucharest metro in 1909 and 1910. He also taught at university, served as president of the Romanian Association of Engineers and was elected an honorary member of the Romanian Academy.