The Sibiu – Pitesti highway, viewed pessimistically: “Who still believes that the most difficult sectors will be ready by 2028?”

Although the works have progressed on the Boita viaducts, which mark the entrance to the mountain route of the Sibiu-Pitesti Highway, the project's status continues to cause dissatisfaction, and the estimated deadline for the completion of the highway is viewed with doubt by many Romanians.

The Boita Viaduct will be 650 meters long. Photo: Daniel Guță. TRUTH

The works on the Boita viaducts started in August 2024, and currently represent, along with the Robești tunnel, which recently entered the construction site, the main work fronts on the Boita – Cornetu section, from the A1 Sibiu – Pitești Highway.

Difficult start in the Olt valley

Apart from these segments, which total about six kilometers, the builders have not yet received the necessary approvals to open new construction sites on Lot 2, with a length of over 31 kilometers, the most complex of the highway that will cross the Carpathians.

The contract for the design and execution of the works on the Olt Valley section, worth over 4.2 billion lei, excluding VAT, was signed in 2022 by the Romanian state and the Mapa – Cengiz association, with a term of 18 months for the design and 50 months for the execution of the works. The works started in Boita, in the summer of 2024, and in the summer of this year the construction of the first of the seven tunnels designed on this route also started.

More than a year after the start of the construction of the first viaduct from Boita, 650 meters long, many Romanians are dissatisfied with the state of the project. Some of them declare that they do not believe that the estimated deadline for completing the section, 2028, will be met. One reason is the large number of difficult artworks.

Many Romanians are dissatisfied with the state of the works

In addition to the seven tunnels, an ecoduct, and 48 bridges, passages and viaducts will have to be built, in the difficult rocky relief conditions of the Olt valley. The section is continued by another difficult sector, Lot 3 Cornetu – Tigveni, 37 kilometers long, which includes the Poiana Tunnel, 1.7 kilometers long, an ecoduct on the Olt Valley, and almost 50 bridges, passages and viaducts.

“Realistically speaking, who can imagine that by 2028 the remaining two most difficult sectors will be ready, with seven tunnels (ie 14 galleries), more than 40 viaducts and countless sections where the mountain must be cut, excavations, protection dykes, ditches and other complex works, when, on most sections, construction permits have not even been issued yet?”asks, puzzled, a Romanian, in a message published on the YouTube platform.

Someone else is willing to bet that Boita – Cornet, the Olt Valley section of the Sibiu – Pitesti Motorway, will not be inaugurated in 2028. He believes that there are no real prospects of being completed in 2028 for lot 3 either.

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Sibiu Pitesti Highway construction site, Boita viaduct Photo Daniel Guță THE TRUTH (16) jpg

“Under no circumstances will it be possible to travel, in 2028, on the entire Sibiu-Pitesti section. On lot 2, work is currently underway on approximately five percent of the route, plus a tunnel. The chances of completing the works by 2032 are, at best, limited. If all segments of these two lots were authorized and actually started to be executed, and the mobilization would be exemplary, especially on lot 2, perhaps, maybe we could talk about a completion around 2030. But unfortunately that's not the case,” add this one.

State officials, more optimistic

The Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges Craiova is more optimistic about the works at Boita. In a recently published message, the institution's officials stated that, on the segment where the first five viaducts are being built, the works are progressing at a very good pace:

“At Viaduct 1, the 96 beams have already been installed, and work is currently being done on the concrete slabs. On the main piles, the execution of the zero section has begun – on the superstructure from which the formwork for the cantilever execution of the main spans will be launched. These spans will be 140 meters long and will be made with balanced balance technology.” informed DRDP Craiova.

DRDP Craiova stated that at Viaduct 2, several operations are taking place in parallel: the drilling of piles, the creation of foundations and the elevations of the abutments; utility diversions have been completed. At Viaducts 3 and 4, the drilled piles are almost ready, the leveling concrete will be poured and the foundation reinforcements will be installed. At Viaduct 5, the grader for the highest pile on the section (over 40 meters) is completed, and work will continue with the execution of the elevations.

“The metal deck will be mounted by launch, and the segments are manufactured at the contractor's plant in Sibiu and assembled on site for launch. The technological roads are completed, ensuring access to the Boita tunnel”, recently informed DRDP Craiova.

There are 80 kilometers of mountain highway left

The A1 Sibiu–Pitesti highway has a total length of 122 kilometers (without the Sibiu belt). The route was divided into five sections, for which the Romanian state and the builders signed design and execution contracts in the period 2019–2022.

Until now, Section 1 Sibiu–Boita (14 kilometers) and Section 5 Curtea de Argeș–Pitești (30 kilometers) have been opened to road traffic. The other three sections, between Boita and Curtea de Argeș, are in the construction site and have a completion date of 2027-2028.

The length of the three highway segments that cross the Olt Valley and Băiașului Valley, passing through the counties of Sibiu, Vâlcea and Argeș, is approximately 80 kilometers. Nine tunnels were designed along the entire route, with a total length of almost 8.5 kilometers. Seven of them will be built on Valea Oltului, on Lot 2 Boita-Cornetu.

The Poiana tunnel, almost two kilometers long, recently entered the construction site, on Lot 3 Cornetu–Tigveni, over 37 kilometers long. The section on Valea Băiașului will be built by the association Astaldi/WeBuild – Tancrad.

The contract was signed in 2022, has an estimated value of 5.32 billion lei (without VAT) and provides for 12 months for design and 45 months for execution. The first building permit was issued in December 2024, and the estimated opening date is 2028.

The most advanced works are at the Curtea de Argeș Tunnel, located on the Curtea de Argeș–Tigveni section, ten kilometers long, whose completion is estimated in 2027.