Romanian Motorways Review - Q3 2022
(c) 130km.ro / 02 October 2022
There were many new developments about Romanian motorways and expressways in Q2 this year. The second expressway section in Romania was opened in July 2022 - a stretch of 21.35km between Piatra Olt and Slatina which is lot 2 of section II of the Craiova - Pitesti expressway (DEx12). Thus, section II is now fully opened to traffic after lot 1 was opened in April this year.
Two new developments for the A1 motorway: the contract for exection of Sibiu - Pitesti section 3 was signed in August and currently all five sections of this route have contracts signed; and in September the contractor was selected for the missing Margina - Holdea stretch of A1 Lugoj - Deva route. Additionally, tender procedures were launched for all four lots of Sibiu - Fagaras, first section of the future A13 motorway, and for sections Focsani - Bacau and Bacau - Pascani on A7.
The status and recent news for each Romanian motorway and expressway are listed below.
A0 MOTORWAY (Bucharest Ringroad)
Contractors selected and contracts signed for all three sections of the Southern part of the motorway, with a total length of 51.2km and opening dates in 2023. Works in progress for all three sections. As for the Northern part of the motorway: contract is signed and works in progress for section 2 (19.0km, opening date in 2024); contract signed and preparations for starting of works on section 4 (4.5km, opening date in 2023); contractors selected but procedures challenged for sections 1 and 3 (17.5km and 8.6km respectively).
A1 MOTORWAY (Bucharest - Nadlac)
On A1 section Bucharest - Pitesti is opened to traffic (109.6km). On the following section, Pitesti - Sibiu, there are contracts signed for all segments: segment 1 Sibiu - Boita (13.2km, works in progress, possible opening date in 2022), segment 2 Boita - Cornetu (31.3km, opening date in 2027), section 3 (Cornetu - Tigveni, 37.4km) with contract signed in August 2022 and opening date in 2027, segment 4 Tigveni - Curtea de Arges (9.9km, opening date in 2026), and segment 5 Curtea de Arges - Pitesti (30.4km, works in progress, opening date in 2025).
Sibiu ringorad (17.6km) is opened to traffic, as are the following sections, Sibiu - Orastie (82.2km) and Orastie - Deva (32.5km). The following section, Lugoj - Deva, is open with the exception of 13.2km on segment 2 (Margina - Holdea) for which a contractor was selected in September 2022 after a new tender procedure (length of Lugoj - Deva segment which is open: 86.3km).
The other sections on A1, Lugoj - Timisoara (35.1km), Timisoara - Arad and Arad ringorad (41.0km) and Arad - Nadlac (38.9km) are also open to traffic.
A2 SUN MOTORWAY (Bucharest - Constanta)
Open to traffic (202.8km).
A3 TRANSYLVANIA MOTORWAY (Bucharest - Bors)
First section, Bucharest - Ploiesti (65.2km), is open to traffic. On the following section, Ploiesti - Brasov, the route Rasnov - Cristian (6.3km) is open; there are no other routes that are open or under construction on this section, but plans for a new Public-Private Partnership project have surfaced once again.
Section Brasov - Targu Mures is dropped from official plans and was replaced with the A10 Sebes - Turda motorway. The status of segments on the next section, Targu Mures - Gilau, is as follows: Targu Mures - Ungheni (4.5km) open; Ungheni - Ogra (10.1km) open; Ogra - Iernut (3.6km) open; Iernut - Chetani (17.9km) open; Chetani - Campia Turzii (15.7km) a new contractor selected, contract due to be signed; Campia Turzii - Gilau (51.7km) open.
On the last section, Gilau - Bors, status is as follow: Gilau - Nadaselu (9.5km) open; Nadaselu - Mihaiesti (16.8km) under construction with opening date in 2023; Mihaiesti - Zimbor (13.3km) under construction, opening date in 2023; Zimbor - Poarta Salajului (13.3km) under construction, opening date in 2023; Poarta Salajului - Zalau (15.1km) and Zalau - Nusfalau (25.8km) being tendered; Nusfalau - Suplacu de Barcau (13.6km) under construction, opening date in 2023; Suplacu de Barcau - Chiribis (26.4km) - tender procedure canceled; Chiribis - Biharia (28.9km) - contract canceled in May 2022; Biharia - Bors (5.4km) open.
A4 MOTORWAY (Constanta Ringroad)
Open to traffic (21.8km).
A6 SOUTH MOTORWAY (Lugoj - Calafat)
The only section open to traffic is Balint - Lugoj ringroad (10.5km); no plans in place for additional routes on this motorway.
A7 MOTORWAY (Ploiesti - Pascani)
Bacau ringroad (16.3km) is open. For section Ploiesti - Buzau (63.3km) contractors are selected for all three segments and contracts were signed for segment 1 Dumbrava - Mizil (21.0km, opening in 2024) and segment 2 Mizil - Pietroasele (28.4km, opening in 2024). For section Buzau - Focsani contracts were signed for segments 1 (Buzau - Vadu Pasii, 4.60km, opening in 2024) and 4 (Mandresti Munteni - Focsani Nord, 10.94km, opening in 2024); contractors selected for the remaining two segments but procedures were challenged. Sections Focsani - Bacau and Bacau - Pascani are currently being tendered, while tenders for sections Pascani - Suceava and Suceava - Siret are planned for the future.
A10 MOTORWAY (Sebes - Turda)
Open to traffic (70.0km).
A11 MOTORWAY (ARAD - ORADEA)
On A11 works are in progress for the connection between Oradea and A3 Motorway at Bors of 19,0km, of which 13km will be an expressway and the difference a national road (estimated opening date: 2023). A 3.5km stretch between Oradea and A3 motorway in the Arad area is open.
A13 MOTORWAY (SIBIU - BACAU)
Tenders launched in August 2022 for all four segments of section Sibiu - Fagaras. A new design tendered planned for remaining route after contract with previous contractor was canceled.
DX6 EXPRESWAY (BRAILA - GALATI) AND BRAILA BRIDGE
Works in progress for Braila - Galati expressway (12.3km). Opening date is estimated for 2024. The route connects to a bridge over the Danube between Braila and Smardan in Tulcea County which is under construction. This is one of the most important infrastructure projects in Romania (the bridge is not part of the Braila - Galati expressway). Alghough announced for 2022, opening of the bridge is now scheduled for 2024-2025.
DX12 EXPRESWAY (CRAIOVA - PITESTI)
Section II Robanesti - Slatina (39.9km) is open: segment 1 Robanesti - Piatra Olt (18.5km) was opened in April 2022, while segment 2 Piatra Olt - Slatina (21,35km) was opened in July 2022. Works in progress on the other three sections. Section I Craiova - Robanesti (17.7km) with opening date in 2023 after the previous deadline of 2022 was missed due to delays. Sections III Slatina - Colonesti (31.8km) and IV Colonesti - Pitesti (31.9km) are planned to be opened in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
OTHER PROJECTS
130km.ro only covers motorways and expressways which are either open or at least have tender procedures in place for execution; other projects and ideas for which preliminary design and planning work is in progress are not covered as they tend to change, be delayed or get canceled frequently. Still, some information on some major projects is presented below.
For the planned Targu Mures - Iasi - Ungheni motorway there are tenders in progress for updates of feasibility studies for the entire route, but start of works is expected some years in the future. Tender procedure for the planned Timisoara - Moravita motorway could be launched next year.
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