Romanian Motorways Review Q3 2019

30 September 2019. (c) 130km.ro.

Q3 saw the first motorway opening in 2019 in Romania: section 4 of Lugoj - Deva motorway (22.14km). There were expectations for the opening of section 3 as well, but there were some execution issues that were discovered too late, so its opening will have to wait. No other sections were completed in the past three months, even though the Government's promises for this year were plenty. Still, we got some encouraging news on various tender procedures or sections under construction, detailed below:

A0 MOTORWAY (Bucharest South Motorway)

Tenders completed and contractors selected for all three sections of the Bucharest South Ringroad (total length: 50.8km). Contracts signed for all three sections, after the contract for section 1, which had been challenged, was finally signed in August 2019.

A1 MOTORWAY (Bucharest - Nadlac)

Bucharest - Pitesti: Entire length opened to traffic.

Pitesti - Sibiu: Contract signed for section 1 (Sibiu - Boita) in April 2019, with contractor getting ready to start working; tenders in progress for sections 4 (Tigveni - Curtea de Arges) and 5 (Curtea de Arges - Pitesti), but procedure temporarily suspended for section 4 in June 2019; result of tender for section 5 could be announced by the end of 2019. Tenders expected by the end of 2019 for sections 2 (Boita - Cornetu) and 3 (Cornetu - Tigveni). Estimated opening time in 2022-2023. Sibiu ringroad is opened to traffic (17.2km).

Sections Sibiu - Orastie and Orastie - Deva are open to traffic. On Deva - Lugoj, the following are open to traffic: segment 1 (Traian Vuia - Sanovita), 15km of segment 2 (Margina - Traian Vuia) and segment 4 (Soimus - Ilia), the latter opened in August 2019. Traffic was not opened on segment 3 (Ilia - Cosevita) as some execution problems were identified that will delay opening. Tender launched in June 2019 for 9km of segment 2.

Lugoj - Timisoara, Timisoara - Arad and Arad - Nadlac are all open to traffic.

A3 MOTORWAY (Bucharest - Bors)

Bucharest - Ploiesti: full length open to traffic.

Ploiesti - Brasov: Works in progress for segment Rasnov-Cristian (6.3km) on Comarnic-Brasov, with work progressing nicely. Tender launched for Ploiesti - Brasov motorway as a Public - Private Partnership with minimal chances of success and uncertain future.

Brasov - Targu Mures: This section was dropped from official plans, with access to Transylvania replaced by A10 Sebes - Turda.

Targu Mures - Gilau: 52km on this section are open to traffic between Campia Turzii and Gilau. Two sections on Campia Turzii - Targu Mures opened in December 2018 (Ogra - Campia Turzii Section 1, 3.60km and Targu Mures - Ogra Section 2, 10.11km), with works in progress for the remaining sections (slim chances of seeing any openings in 2019 on this route).

Gilau - Bors: Gilau - Nadaselu opened to traffic (9.47km). Contractors selected for all three segments of section 3C Suplacu de Barcau - Bors (contract signed only for segment Biharia - Bors). Tenders in progress for 3 out of 5 segments on section 3B Mihaiesti - Suplacu de Barcau, as well as for segment 3A2 Nadaselu - Mihaiesti.

A7 MOTORWAY (Bacau Ringroad)

Works progressing nicely for the Bacau Ringroad, part of which is included in the route of the A7 Ploiesti - Pascani motorway.

A10 MOTORWAY (Sebes - Turda)

Segments 3 (Aiud - Decea, 12.45km) and 4 (Decea - Turda, 16.30km) opened, with works in progress on segments 1 and 2. The latter two were scheduled for opening in 2019, but this doesn't seem like it will be happening.

OTHER PROJECTS

Tender for updating of feasibility study for the Targu Mures - Targu Neamt launched in early 2019 and tender for execution of Targu Neamt - Iasi in progress (Public Private Partnership).

Tenders launched in June 2019 for three segments of the Bucharest North Ringroad with 11 offers received for section 1; contract in progress for update of feasibility study for the Brasov - Fagaras motorway; tender in progress for feasibility study of Brasov - Bacau motorway (three offers received); tender in progress for feasibility study of Timisoara - Moravita motorway.

COMPLETED MOTORWAYS

Motorways A2: Bucharest - Constanta and A4: Constanta Ringroad are completed with entire length open to traffic. Additionally, 11km between Balint and Lugoj ringroad are opened on the proposed A6 Lugoj - Calafat motorway and 3.5km between Arad and DN7 are opened on the proposed A11 Arad - Oradea motorway.

130km.ro