In line with the previous year’s progress — or rather lack thereof — the building of Romanian motorways continued at a snail’s pace. The state-owned road infrastructure management company CNAIR has lived up to expectations and inaugurated only 64 kilometers of new motorways across the country. So, we are closing 2020 – which will likely enter the history books as the year of COVID-19 – with only 914 kilometers of functional motorways, but that’s no problem because we’re kind of getting used to it. Another year, another failure to meet the promises made by CNAIR and the Minister of Transport (via Ziare).
The Bihar/Biharia-Bors/Bors segment on video
At the end of 2019, Romania had 850 kilometers of motorway, after opening the 40-kilometer segment of the A1 highway, which had been ready since 2018. The first kilometers of new Romanian motorway were inaugurated in September: the 5.5-kilometer Bihar/Biharia-Bors/Bors segment, followed by another 18 kilometers of the Transylvanian motorway between Radnót/Iernut and Maroskece/Chetani that same month.
The Radnót/Iernut and Maroskece/Chetani segment on video
As we inch toward the end of a year dominated by COVID-19, authorities have opened up another 15-kilometer segment of the A10 motorway between Sebes North and Gyulafehérvár/Alba Iulia North.
The A10 motorway between Sebes North and Gyulafehérvár/Alba Iulia North on video
December also brought a smile to the face of Moldova-based drivers when the Bacău Ring was inaugurated, allowing them to enjoy 16 kilometers (out of 31 kilometers) of uninterrupted high-speed driving on the A7 motorway.
But that wonder only lasted a few days: Shortly after, drivers started using the aforementioned segment, complaints started to ramp up about destroyed tires caused by broken asphalt segments on the road.
The Bacău ring on video
On December 17, the authorities opened up the first segment of the motorway going through Brassó/Brasov County. The segment stretches 6.3 kilometers between Barcarozsnyó (Rosenau in German), Râşnov, Keresztényfalva and Cristian as part of the Comarnic–Brassó/Brașov section of the A3 motorway.
And since we are saying goodbye to 2020 in just a few days, that’s it, folks – 64 kilometers of new Romanian motorway for 2020. And the outlook for 2021 isn’t any better …
The Barcarozsnyó/Râşnov–Keresztényfalva/Cristian segment on video.
Title image: Work continues on Romania’s infrastructure. Image source: CNAIR’s Facebook page
