ANIMATION Romania's highway network. How each year's inaugurations look on the map: from communism, to the acceleration after joining the EU

Ashley Davis04/01/2026

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ANIMATION Romania's highway network. How each year's inaugurations look on the map: from communism, to the acceleration after joining the EU

ANIMATION – Highways in Romania – 1972 vs 2025

In 2025, Romania marked the second most prolific year in its history in terms of high-speed road openings. In total, now in Romania there are over 1,400 kilometers of highway and expressway, the vast majority built and opened to traffic in the last 20 years.

The network of highways and express roads in operation in Romania has reached 1,416.3 kilometers. In 2025, 146.5 km were opened to traffic.

The absolute record so far was in 2024 when no less than 195 km of highway and expressway were opened to traffic. This milestone could be surpassed, however, in 2026.

Which highways and expressways were inaugurated in 2025

A0 South, Lot 3 – 18 km
A1 Sibiu – Pitesti, section 5 (Merișani – Curtea de Argeș section) – 14 km
A7 Buzău – Focșani, Lot 1 – 4.6 km
A7 Ploiești – Buzău, Lot 2: Mizil – Spătaru – 28 km
A7 Ploiești – Buzău, Lot 3: Spătaru – Buzău – 13.9 km
A7 Focșani – Bacău, Lot 1: Focșani – Domnești Târg – 35 km
A7 Focșani – Bacău, Lot 2 (partial): Domnești Târg – Adjud – 15 km
Expressway DEx 4 A3 – Tureni – 5 km
Express Road DEx 12 Craiova – Pitesti, Section 4 (opening from Albota to A1) – 13 km

Total: 146.5 km

Highways in Romania, the evolution from 1972 until now – ANIMATION

At the end of 2025, thus, Romania accounts for 1,416 kilometers of genuine highway and expressway in operation at the national level.

The user Allex of the community of infrastructure enthusiasts on the forum.peundemerg.ro platform created a graphic animation illustrating the year-by-year evolution, on the map of Romania, of the inaugurations of highways and express roads.

The beginning of the network of fast roads in Romania was in 1972, when traffic was opened on the A1 Bucharest – Pitesti, and the next opening came only in 1987 with the Fetești – Cernavodă Bridge and the related highway segment.

The 90s, the post-communist transition years, did not bring any changes to the highway map as no new projects were worked on.

It was only in 2004 that the next inauguration came, a substantial segment of the current Autostrada a Soarelui, A2.

The highway network in Romania took shape especially after joining the EU

Romania's highway network experienced a real boom only after our country joined the European Union and benefited from countless non-refundable funds that went into the construction of roads and railways.

The year 2024 was, so far, the record year in terms of kilometers open to traffic, 195 km.

Until the year 2024, the previous record had been reached precisely in 2012 when 139 kilometers of highway were inaugurated.

At the end of 2025, Romania's network of high-speed roads – highways and expressways – reached 1,416.3 kilometers.

The evolution of the kilometers of highway open to traffic annually in recent years in Romania

2004 – 97.2 km
2007 – 50.7 km
2009 – 42 km
2010 – 28 km
2011 – 57 km
2012 – 139 km
2013 – 108 km
2014 – 28.2 km*
2015 – 46.6 km
2016 – 22.1 km*
2017 – 15 km
2018 – 55.4 km
2019 – 42 km
2020 – 60.6 km
2021 – 33.5 km
2022 – 53.02 km
2023 – 81 km
2024 – 195 km
2025 – 146.5 km

*Lot 3 Cunța – Săliște from A1 Sibiu – Orăștie – 22.11 km – was initially opened in November 2014, but was closed in 2015 for major repairs on one piece. The entire lot was permanently reopened in October 2016.