Highways in Romania
Controlled-access highways in Romania are dual carriageways, grade separated with controlled-access, designed for high speeds. In 2012, legislation amendments defined two types of highways: motorways (Romanian: Autostrăzi) and expressways (Romanian: Drumuri expres).
The main differences are that motorways have emergency lanes and the maximum allowed speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph), while expressways do not and the speed limit is 100–120 km/h (62–75 mph).[1]
The EU accession of the country in 2007 and the improved utilization of the allocated EU funds in recent years, enabled Romania to speed up the expansion of its highway network. There are no toll roads, but a vignette is required, except for municipal roads.
There are 790 km of motorways currently in use.
Only A2 is completed, while A1 is mostly completed with significant sections currently being built. A3 has two large segments that are currently in use, but most of it is still only planned, with only a small part under construction. A10 will likely be the next completed highway, while A4, A6 and A11 currently have only small segments in use. Plans to extend the current network include seven other motorways, but none are likely to be completed in the near future.
Motorways
Motorways are identified by A followed by a number. There are few tolls for using roads in Romania. There is one at the Giurgeni – Vadu Oii Bridge over the river Danube on highway DN2A at Vadu Oii and one at the Cernavodă Bridge, on the A2 motorway, a 17 km long section between Feteşti and Cernavodă which consists of two road/railway bridges. Nevertheless, every owner of a car that uses a motorway (A) or a national road (DN) in Romania must purchase a vignette (rovinietă) from any of the main petrol stations or at any post office throughout the country.[2]
History
The construction of the first motorway in Romania began in 1967, and the first segment of the A1 motorway, from Pitești to the capital Bucharest was opened in 1972 with a total length of 96 km. Until the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, the building of the second motorway between Bucharest and Constanta had been planned, but only an 18 km long segment of A2 from Fetești to Cernavodă, opened in 1987, was completed. The transition from a centralized economy to a market economy severely limited investment into infrastructure projects, and the entire motorway network totaled 113 km for decades until the construction project of A2 was resumed in 1998.
Actual construction began in 2001 on three segments of A2, and in 2004 these finally opened: Bucharest – Fundulea 26.5 km, Fundulea – Lehliu 29.2 km, Lehliu – Drajna 41.6 km. Another segment opened in 2007: Drajna – Fetești 36.6 km, while the A1 motorway was extended also in 2007 with the Pitești bypass (13.6 km). Also in 2004, a large sector of A3, termed "Transylvania Motorway", was awarded controversially without bidding to the American Bechtel Corporation. Large cost overruns and delays ensued for this project, and after political controversies, most of the contracts were cancelled, and only the Cluj bypass (Gilău – Turda and Turda – Câmpia Turzii segments) of only 51.7 km were opened between 2009 and 2010, at much larger costs than initially signed in the contract.
After joining the European Union in 2007, Romania was able to access funds for infrastructure development more easily, especially for those part of the Pan-European Corridor IV overlapping with A1 and A2 motorways. Many segments of the A1 motorway were started, and by the end of 2011, the A1 segments Timişoara – Arad (32.3 km), Sibiu bypass (17.5 km), and A2 segment Murfatlar – Constanţa (14.6 km), together with the A4 Constanta bypass (8.5 km) and A11 Arad bypass (12.3 km) were partially or fully opened.[3] By the end of 2012, the A1 the segment Deva – Simeria (14.8 km), the A2 segment Cernavodă – Murfatlar (36.6 km) and the final segment of the A4 Constanța bypass (11.2 km) were completed. The first A3 segment not completed by Becthel, the Bucharest – Ploieşti (55.5 km) was also opened that year. At the end of 2013, more segments of A1 were finalized, including parts of Lugoj – Deva (17.3 km), Sibiu – Orăştie (60.0 km), Orastie – Simeria (17.7 km) and the adjacent first sector of A6 Balinț – Lugoj (11.4 km), and the final segments of the A4 Constanta bypass (2.1 km). In 2014 and 2015, more A1 segments were opened between Sibiu – Orăştie (22.1 km), Arad – Nadlac (38.9 km), and Timisoara – Lugoj (35.8 km), for a total of 726.6 km of motorways in use in Romania in December 2015.
Political debates and changes in priorities of left-leaning parties after 2014 greatly slowed down motorway projects. In 2016, there were no new segments opened, with a small segment part of Lugoj – Deva (15.2 km) opening in 2017, for a total of 761.4 km in use.[4] In July 2018, two segments of the A10 motorway, between Aiud and Turda, opened to traffic, bringing the total to 790.2 km. Currently, two other segments of the A10 motorway are in execution, together with all the remaining segments of A1 (excluding Piteşti – Sibiu) and segments of A3 near Bucharest and between Târgu Mureş and Câmpia Turzii.
Year | 1972 | 1987 | 2004 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 (est.) | 2020 (est.) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opened km | 96 | 18 | 97 | 37 | 14 | 42 | 27 | 71 | 128 | 119 | 51 | 48 | 15 | 38 | 100 | 100 |
Total km | 96 | 113 | 210 | 247 | 261 | 303 | 330 | 402 | 529 | 638 | 688 | 735 | 751 | 789 | 900 (est.) | 1000 (est.) |
Future projects
Currently the only completed motorway is A2, with A10 likely being the next one to finish around 2019-2020. The unfinished segments of A1 and A3 are in various stages of planning and construction, with several segments likely to finish by 2022-2025. There are no active planned projects for extending the current A4, A6 and A11 motorways that are in usage, as only projected long-term plans are envisioned in various infrastructure masterplans.[5]
A few other motorways have received active discussion, including a termed A0 Bucharest Motorway Ring Road as an outer ring to the Bucharest Ring Road. The A7 Ploiești–Bacău Motorway has been planned to be part of the Pan-European Corridor IX, but currently only plans of a Bacau bypass (16 km) are being actively pursued. Beyond Pașcani, the Corridor IX is envisioned to be covered by the A8 East–West Motorway. Plans have been brought forward to link Craiova to A1 through an A12 motorway. Highways crossing the Carpathian Mountains have been delayed due to large costs, with debates on whether to build A3 (through long-term concession contracts) or A1 (EU funds would cover most of the cost). Regardless, an A13 Făgăraș–Sibiu Motorway has been viewed as an alternative to link A1 and A3. Also, A5 as a Brașov–Bacău Motorway has been mentioned as a link between Moldova and Transylvania. A9 is planned to link A1 to Serbia.[5]
- Next scheduled openings[6]
- October 2018: A3 Bucharest-CB (6 km)
- December 2018: A1 Deva - Ilia (22 km); A3 Iernut - Ungheni Airport (14 km)
List
From | Route | To | Planned (km) | In service (km) | Initial opening | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transcarpathia Motorway | Bucharest | Bucharest Ring Road – Pitești – |
Nădlac → |
576 | 400 | 1972 |
Bucharest–Pitești (110 km), Sibiu–Deva (132 km), and Margina-Nădlac (158 km) sections are fully operational. Works are ongoing on the Deva–Margina segment (56.8 km) and will be finished by 2022 the latest. Most of Pitești–Sibiu (120 km) construction contracts are being auctioned (4 of the 5 segments). | ||||||
Sun Motorway | Bucharest | Bucharest Ring Road – Fetești – Cernavodă – |
Constanța | 203 | 203 | 1987 |
Operational on the entire length since 2012, first fully completed motorway in Romania. | ||||||
Transylvania Motorway | Bucharest | Bucharest Ring Road – |
Borș → |
603 | 117 | 2009 |
Only Bucharest Ring Road–Ploiești (56 km) and Câmpia Turzii–Gilǎu (52 km) sectors are operational. Bucharest Ring Road–Bucharest (6.5 km), Targu-Mures–Câmpia Turzii (55 km) segments are due in 2018–2019. Suplacu de Barcău – Borș (64.5 km) and Brașov–Rasnov are scheduled to begin construction. Status of the Brasov–Targu Mures segment remains unclear, as the Brașov–Fagaras segment has been assigned as part of the A13 motorway. | ||||||
Constanța bypass | Braila | Tulcea – Ovidiu – |
Vama Veche → |
60 | 22 | 2011 |
Only Constanța bypass is complete, between Ovidiu and the Port of Constanța. Agigea – Vama Veche section are not being actively pursued. | ||||||
A5 motorway | Brașov | Bacău | 158 | 0 | — | |
Intended as a link between Transylvania and Moldova. | ||||||
A6 motorway | Lugoj | Calafat → |
260 | 11 | 2013 | |
Opened only as the Lugoj bypass from the junction with A1[9] It is intended as the southern branch of the Pan European Corridor IV and will connect Lugoj with Calafat, Sofia, Athens and Istanbul. | ||||||
Moldova Motorway | Ploiești | Siret → |
440 | 0 | 2021 the earliest | |
Construction of Bacău bypass (16 km) started in 2018 and will take at least 3 years. Initially planned as part of the former route of Pan-European Corridor IX (Giurgiu–Bucharest Ring Expressway–Urziceni–Buzău–Râmnicu-Sărat–Focșani–Tecuci–Bârlad–Huși–Albița), but since 2014 plans in favor of a motorway past Focșani were scrapped for an expressway towards Bacău to join A8 near Pașcani. The new route of A7 from Ploiești to Siret will have about 440 km, 290 km of which for the A7 section from Ploiești to Pașcani. | ||||||
East–West Motorway | Târgu Mureș | Ungheni → |
318 | 0 | — | |
East–West motorway between regions of Transylvania and Moldavia. Feasibility studies conducted in 2009-2011; feasibility studies revision and update contracted in 2015.[10] It has a length of around 320 km and starts at A3 join near Târgu Mureș, passes through Pașcani (join with A7), and ends at Iași (border with Moldova). The section between Târgu Neamț - Iași (102 km) is in the feasibility studies revision process, and optimistically might have a preliminary delivery date around 2023. | ||||||
A9 motorway | Timișoara | Moravița → |
92 | 0 | — | |
Intended to link Timisoara with Serbia's motorway network. | ||||||
Mureș-Arieș Motorway | Sebeș | Turda | 70 | 29 | 2018 | |
Aiud–Turda completed on 30 July 2018, while construction is progressing on all other segments and are due to be opened by 2020 the latest. | ||||||
A11 motorway | Arad | Oradea | 116 | 3 | 2011 | |
Only junction with A1 is finished, but it is planned to eventually reach Oradea. | ||||||
Oltenia Motorway | Pitești | Craiova | 121 | 0 | — | |
Mentioned in the 2014 Masterplan, with Slatina and bypasses.[11] Construction contracts is due to be assigned in 2018, with completion deadlines around 2021. | ||||||
Făgăraș–Sibiu Motorway | Brașov | Sibiu | 128 | 0 | — | |
A link between A1 and A3 has been discussed, link which could provide an alternative for crossing the Carpathian Mountains. Some sources include the Brasov-Bacau section of A5 as part of A13. Feasibility studies are currently underway for Sibiu-Fagaras sector (72 km) | ||||||
Bucharest Ring Motorway | Bucharest | Bucharest | 101 | 0 | — | |
Intended to serve as an outer ring to the existing Bucharest Ring Road. First segment awarded for construction was on the southern half in 2018, and due to be completed by 2022.[12] |
Expressways
Planned expressways according to CNADNR (Romanian National Company of Motorways and National Roads):[11][13]
Expressway | Route | Nickname | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
DX1 | București – Alexandria | Valahia | alternative to A6 |
DX2 | Craiova – Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Lugoj | Danubia | extension of A6 |
DX3 | Pitești – Râșnov – Brașov | Brașovia | linking A1 and A3 |
DX4 | Cluj-Napoca – Dej (DX4A: Bistrita, DX4B: Baia Mare) – Satu Mare | Someş | connections to Hungary (Dorolț) and Ukraine (Halmeu); 20 km built |
DX5 | Buzău – Focșani – Bacău (DX5A: Piatra Neamț) – Pașcani – Suceava (DX5B: Botoșani) | Siret | alternative to A7 |
DX6 | Focșani – Brăila – Galați | Milcovia | linking A1 and A3 |
DX7 | Târgoviște – Ploiești – Buzău – Brăila (DX7A: Focșani) – Galați | Muntenia | alternative to A7, linking it to A1 |
DX8 | Brăila – Tulcea – Constanța | Dobrogea | alternative to A4 |
DX11 | Otopeni – A3 | Coandă | link to the Henri Coandă Airport |
Gallery
- A1 motorway between Bucharest and Pitești, the first Romanian motorway
- A1 motorway at Pitești bypass
- A1 motorway at Sibiu bypass, opened in 2010.
- A1 motorway near Timișoara
- A2 motorway at Cernavoda, opened 1987
- A2 motorway near Constanta at a junction with the A4 motorway
- A2 motorway between Bucharest and Fetești
- A3 motorway between Bucharest and Ploiești
- A4 motorway (Constanta bypass)
- A11 motorway (Arad bypass)
See also
References
- ↑ "Ce este un drum expres si cum se aseamana sau se deosebeste de o autostrada" (in Romanian). Hotnews.ro. 30 September 2014.
- ↑ "Rovinieta 2012 Taxa de Drum si Tarife Rovinieta 2012". Ghidtransport.ro. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ↑ http://www.zf.ro/eveniment/autostrada-spre-litoral-este-de-20-de-ani-in-constructie-dar-va-fi-finalizata-abia-in-2011-5275732/
- ↑ "Prezentarea generală a reţelei de drumuri". CNADNR. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- 1 2 http://www.130km.ro/articol43.html
- ↑ http://www.130km.ro/calendar.html
- ↑ http://www.cnadnr.ro/ro/proiecte/autostrazi-pregatire
- ↑ http://www.automarket.ro/stiri/pe-hartie-totul-este-perfect-lista-autostrazilor-si-drumurilor-expres-pe-73593.html
- ↑ "Primul lot al Autostrazii Lugoj - Deva, deschis circulatiei in plina noapte, cu o intarziere de noua luni". Hotnews. 23 December 2013.
- ↑ "Autostrada A8 Targu Neamt - Iasi: Autostrada care ar urma sa lege Iasul cu Targu Neamt". Hotnews.ro. 9 March 2015.
- 1 2 "Roads Masterplan 2014" (PDF). CNADNR. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ https://monitorizari.hotnews.ro/stiri-infrastructura_articole-22417379-autostrada-centura-sud-capitalei-fost-desemnat-cstigatorul-pentru-constructia-unui-lot-17-5.htm
- ↑ "Construcţie drumuri expres". CNADNR. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ https://monitorizari.hotnews.ro/stiri-infrastructura_articole-19343352-harta-master-planul-transport-2-0-drumuri-autostrazi-avea-romania-cat-vor-costa-vezi-modificari-aparut-fata-varianta-initiala.htm