Romanian Highway Construction Works, Slower Than Snails

Construction works on Romanian highways are advancing at snail speed, judging by the information recently made available by the Romanian National Highway and National Road Company (CNADNR). On Transylvania Highway, started in 2004, the general contractor Bechtel is working on two sections: Campia Turzii - Cluj Vest (Gilau), which is 35% completed, and Suplacu de Barcau - Bors, which is 18% completed. The Mihaesti - Suplacu de Barcau section is in the detailed design for execution phase, which is 30% completed. That means 23 kilometres.

CNADNR also stated that the Cluj Vest - Mihaesti section had reached the detailed execution design phase. The design has been approved with the recommendation to increase the designed speed from 100 km/h to 120 km/h for the last 14.5 kilometres. The design will be modified accordingly as soon as possible and be re-submitted to CNADNR for approval. The feasibility study for the Targu Mures - Campia Turzii section is being updated and is 30% completed. Concurrently, the technical project for the Sighisoara - Targu Mures section is 20% completed. The technical project for the Brasov - Fagaras section has been completed and the detailed design for execution is 20% ready. A tender is to be organized for design services related to the Fagaras - Sighisoara section.

The Bucharest - Brasov Highway is also behind schedule. Construction works started nearly two years ago, but site preparation works for the Bucharest - Moara Vlasiei section are only 80% done. CNADNR said a number of works had been performed at km. 8 and 11, as well as at km 23, 26, 32 and 51 of the Moara Vlasiei - Ploiesti section.

For the Comarnic - Brasov, three final bids have been submitted for the concession (i.e. the first two sections are financed by the State. In the meantime, the legal and financial consultant will prepare the substantiation study for the concession decision. The Bucharest - Constanta Highway is two sections short for the time being, although the first two were commissioned years ago. According to CNADNR, the execution contracts for the Cernavoda - Mangalia section and the Medgidia - Constanta section will be signed soon with Colas and, respectively, Astaldi & Max Boegl. The two contractors were selected by public tender.

CNADNR will also continue works on the ring roads of Bucharest (north and south), Cluj - East, Oradea (phase 2), Iasi (phase 1, south) and Suceava. Further plans aim at optimizing traffic on DN1, consolidating DN57 on the Orsova - Pojejena section, DN67 on the Drobeta Turnu Severin - Motru section and rehabilitating DN 2D on the Focsani - Ojdula section.