Romanian Motorways Review - 2022
(c) 130km.ro / 29 December 2022
Only one motorway section was opened in Romania in 2022 - section I of Sibiu - Pitesti motorway, between Sibiu and Boita (14.17km) opened in December. 2022 also saw the first opening of an expressway in Romania - section 2 of Craiova - Pitesti expressway, between Robanesti and Slatina (18.50km opened in April and 21.35km opened in July).
2022 was the year of Moldova Motorway (A7) and saw tender procedures launched for the entire route Ploiesti - Pascani with signed contracts for many of its sections. 2022 also saw the launch of first tender procedures for new motorways - A13 (Sibiu - Fagaras) and A8 (Targu Mures - Ungheni). Furthermore, the entire route of A1 motorway between Sibiu and Nadlac is either open or under construction after contracts were signed for all sections of the Sibiu - Pitesti route and for the missing stretch between Margina and Holdea.
The map of motorways and expressways opened or under construction at the end of 2021 is show below (click for the larger version):
The length of motorway segments opened each year is shown below:
The status and 2022 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 contracts not signed yet 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, section I Sibiu - Boita (13.17km) was opened in December 2022. All other four sections have signed contracts: section 2 Boita - Cornetu (31.3km, opening date in 2027), section 3 (Cornetu - Tigveni, 37.4km, opening date in 2027), section 4 Tigveni - Curtea de Arges (9.9km, opening date in 2026) and section 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 contract was signed in October 2022 after a new tender procedure with opening date in 2026 (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) under construction, opening date in 2024; 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) works are in progress on segment 1 Dumbrava - Mizil (21.0km, opening in 2024) and segment 2 Mizil - Pietroasele (28.4km, opening in 2024); for segment 3 Pietroasele - Buzau (13.90km) a contractor was selected but a contract hasn't been signed yet.
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), while for the other two segments, Vadu Pasii - Ramnicu Sarat (30.80km) and Ramnicu Sarat - Mandresti Munteni (36.10km) contractors were selected but contracts haven't been signed yet. .
On section Focsani - Bacau contracts are signed for all three segments: Focsani - Domnesti Targ (35.60km), Domnesti Targ - Racaciuni (38.78km) and Racaciuni - Bacau (21.52km). Opening dates for all three are in 2025. The three segments of section Bacau - Pascani are being tendered, with contractors selected for the first two. Tender procedures for sections Pascani - Suceava and Suceava - Siret are being prepared for launch.
A8 MOTORWAY (Tg. Mures - Ungheni)
After many years of delay, the end of 2022 saw the launch of tender procedures for sections I Targu Mures - Miercurea Nirajului (24.40km) and III Leghin - Targu Neamt (29.91km).
A10 MOTORWAY (Sebes - Turda)
Motorway opened to traffic on its entire length after segment 2 (Paraul Iovului - Aiud) was opened in November 2021.
A11 MOTORWAY (Arad - Oradea)
On A11 works are in progress for the connection between Oradea and A3 Motorway at Bors (estimated opening date: 2023). This routw will be an expressway. 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 but progressing slowly. A new design tendered planned for remaining route after contract with previous contractor was canceled.
DX6 EXPRESWAY (BRAILA - GALATI) AND BRAILA BRIDGE
Contract signed for DX6 expressway (12.3km) in April 2021 and works are in progress. Completion of works 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). Originally scheduled for the end of 2022, opening of the bridge was moved to 2023.
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. The fate of section I Craiova - Robanesti (17.7km) is uncertain after contract was canceled in December 2022 (this section was 57% completed at the time). Sections III Slatina - Colonesti (31.8km) and IV Colonesti - Pitesti (31.9km) are under construction and planned to be opened in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
130km.ro
