Transport infrastructure: Sorin Grindeanu's plans, under the magnifying glass of reality

Sorin Grindeanu, the Minister of Transport, declared yesterday, in a press conference held at PSD headquarters, that at the end of his mandate, i.e. by the end of this year, he will account for approximately 400 kilometers of highways and express roads put into use and 800 kilometers of such roads are under construction.

Sorin Grindeanu stated: "We should arrive somewhere so that in four years there will be around 1,000 new kilometers of highway and expressway. The scenario, let's say, in a more optimistic area, provides that we should go about 2,300 kilometers, so let's go about 1,200-1,300 kilometers in four years".

Despite the optimistic promises and impressive figures presented, there are many questions that arise regarding their realism. If we look beyond the displayed optimism, the actual progress of the works, the delay of the collaborations and the huge costs reveal a series of vulnerabilities regarding the fulfillment of these objectives, and putting another 1000 kilometers of highway and expressway into circulation seems at the moment more an idealistic projection rather than a realistic target.

An example of this is the A7 motorway, a major project in theory, but whose lots are still far from completion. While Minister Grindeanu announces the completion of some sections, the project as a whole will not be able to reach full functionality soon. This strategy of "partial completions" is often used to support the impression of steady progress, but the reality is that completed parts still do not make a significant impact on overall traffic.

The situation of the direct connection between Moldova and Transylvania, i.e. the A8 highway, the execution of which has stagnated until recently, when the National Road Investment Company put out the design and execution for the mountain sectors for public procurement, the execution of which is expected to be be completed only in 2031.

With regard to the Bucharest beltway (A0), which will not be completed on time, the Minister of Transport specified that, except for a delay in the works aimed at a single sector (the one connecting A1 to DN1), the other sections of this road will be given to road traffic as early as next year.

The Comarnic-Braşov highway, which is an older promise of politicians, remains unrealizable in the current context, being assessed at an exorbitant amount of 4 billion euros for 160 kilometers. If the project awaits a feasibility study until 2025, its construction and completion becomes a distant illusion rather than a tangible achievement, with the Minister of Transport claiming that it is impossible for the highway to the mountain to be completed by 2028.

Regarding the railway infrastructure, Sorin Grindeanu said that the European funds allocated to the railway infrastructure are comparable to those for the road infrastructure, and will even exceed them in the coming years, especially since we are facing a major deficit in the modernization of the railways. In the opinion of Sorin Grindeanu, progress is represented by the purchase of new rolling stock, next week the first new electric train purchased by our country in the last 25 years will enter traffic on the Bucharest-Braşov route, a period in which only modernizations were made of wagons and locomotives. According to the amounts allocated from the European funds and the auctions started by the Railway Reform Authority, 161 new trains will be purchased, Minister Grindeanu said.

• The Danube as a "logistical dream": diplomatic delays and blockages

Sorin Grindeanu also spoke about the blockage of collaboration with Bulgaria to ensure the navigability of the Danube for 340 days a year. The Minister of Transport showed: "We failed to enter into a constructive dialogue with our colleagues from south of the Danube, from Bulgaria, to implement a project that we care a lot about, the European Commission cares a lot about, namely the Danube navigable almost the whole year, 340 days to be exact. We have to be realistic, we can make the Danube navigable all year round, but for that we need investments. The Bulgarians did not go at the pace I would have liked, but in the end, they also completed what they had to do and, in the end, we are entering a funding zone for this project as well. I hope now to enter this area, because the Danube, and navigation, to be more precise, on the Danube, is another mode of transport that we must use and that we are obliged to use. And, with this project, we will also be able to go on this transport component".

Practically, from the words of the Minister of Transport, we note that the delay of this project by the Bulgarian side highlighted the limits of the authorities in Bucharest to influence the implementation of important cross-border projects for the naval transport infrastructure, which still remains an ignored and underexploited sector.

Although Minister Grindeanu recognizes that the Danube could play a crucial role in Romania's freight transport, this sector has been and is still chronically underfunded, despite the great potential of river transport, a potential that is not exploited in the context of emission reduction objectives of carbon.

The statements of the Minister of Transport regarding navigability on the Danube contradict those made by Sorin Grindeanu regarding the connectivity of Constanţa Port with the west of the country. Instead of this connectivity being done through river transport, Minister Grindeanu said yesterday that he proposes to connect Constanţa Port to the European highway network.

"What does this thing mean? It means that all the highway lots around Bucharest, i.e. A0, will be completed, the four lots that are still under construction, between Pitesti and Sibiu, will be completed, and the famous section with bears, but without bears, between Marginea and Oldea, on the border between Timiş and Hunedoara", said Sorin Grindeanu, who added that only then will it be possible to say that you enter the country at Nădlac and go to Constanţa and that the highway network will lead "to the connection economic growth poles of Romania".