Concern regarding the prioritization of highways in Moldova. The “Unirii” highway will suffer, warns a former secretary of state
Financing with the priority of the sections of the A7 highway can lead to the delay of other sections of work, including the lots contracted from the “Unirii” A8 highway, considers a former secretary from transport.
Adrian Covăsnianu, originally from the Moldovan area, was a secretary of state for transport during the mandate of Cătălin Drula. It makes a prediction regarding the fate of the highways in the region, after there have been changes in the PNRR and is increasingly discussed about the lack of sufficient funding for all the highway projects currently started in Romania.
On the A7, the “Moldovei” highway, which crosses the region from north to south, the sections in operation have to be ready until 2026. They are currently working on six lots (173 km) – from Focșani to Bacău and from Bacău to Pașcani. All six lots have an official completion term this year, but in reality the problem arises if they will be completely ready in the summer of 2026, the deadline for the projects financed by PNRR.
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The increased attention and financing on A7 will come with “a price” for the Moldovan region
“The recent internal developments (the visit of the prime minister with CNAIR and in the presence of the RAM) and external (obtaining grants from PNRR for 5 lots from the 6 from Focșani to Pașcani), shows us that, probably, the short-term strategic objective of Romania in the field of road infrastructure is to build the more than 173 km from Foc. Adrian Covăsnianu.
“Will the payment mechanisms be created and ensure the financial flows so that the Moldav builder has 'winds in the canvas' and focus on the completion of these lots so expected by the Romanian community?
It brings into question the lots of the “Unirii” A8 highway that have already been contracted and are only at the beginning of the road or where the start orders have not yet been issued. A movement of attention and financing on A7 would slow down progress and so small from A8.
Covăsnianu also puts on the table the argument that the pound is quite advanced and on other projects where there is a considerable advance.
“The rest of the yards in execution (A3, A1, A0, DEX Galați-Brăila): will accelerate between 2025-2026 or the priorities move firmly on A7? Probably not, as most are in an advanced stage, except for the missing lot”, detail the former official.
“The existence of a majority actor on a national stage of infrastructure shows us a vulnerability of the market for construction in Romania or is it a healthy sign of pure capitalism, as a personal conclusion, I think that the pamse is to” conquer “the Easter until the summer of 2026, but 'Victoria', will probably have a price: The completion of the highway lots, long after 2030 ”, says the former secretary of state transport.
A8, the Moldovan highway that lost the PNRR train
Recently, the Pro Infrastructure Association also showed that the loss of financing provided by PNRR in the chapter of highways appears especially in the “Unirii” A8 highway, the one that connects Moldova and Transylvania. From this highway two sections were included from the beginning in the PNR: both ends of A8 on the mountain area, the end from Târgu Mureș, and respectively from Târgu Neamț.
“But on the heads A8 the works are practically incipient, below 10%. The authorities promise to be put in the transport program. Yes, they can still and must be transferred here! Only there is no place: out of the 5.5 billion euros available on the road branch of the Transport Program, there are projects of 23.3 billion euros that have a signed financing contract or application. 300%”, explains the infrastructure.
In which stages of implementation is A7
The “Moldovei” A7 highway is a high -speed road of almost 450 km from Ploiești to Siret, the border with Ukraine. The A7 highway is located in different stages of implementation: 120 km in use, 215 kilometers in work and almost 115 km in auction, out of a total of about 450 km Ploiești – Siret.
It is also called the “spine” of the road infrastructure for Moldova because it crosses the region from north to south, linking it with Muntenia and to take over all heavy and transit traffic on DN2 (E85), one of the most crowded and dangerous national roads in the country.
Of the 14 lots contracted so far on A7, 11 are signed with RAM (5 completed sections). Two other sections, from Pașcani to Suceava, are attributed to the PLA, but the contracts have not yet been signed.
