Turnaround on the “Unirii” Highway: UMB wins a 1 billion euro contract after the bids were reevaluated

The first section of the “Unirii” A8 Târgu Neamț-Iaşi-Ungheni highway, which will be financed through the SAFE military funds, will be built by an association of companies of Bacău businessman Dorinel Umbrărescu. The contract of almost 1 billion euros was awarded to UMB after it challenged the first result of the tender, and the court ruled in its favor and ordered the re-evaluation of the bids.

The National Road Investment Company announced on Friday that it has appointed the Association SA&PE CONSTRUCT SRL (Leader)-TEHNOSTRADE SRL, SPEDITION UMB, Euro-Asfalt as the winner of the contract for the construction of section 1 Moțca-Târgu Frumos of the A8 Highway.

The association led by the Romanian builder won, following the reevaluation of the offers, the design and execution contract for this 27-kilometer section, the value of the offer being 4.87 billion lei (without VAT), i.e. almost 954 million euros.

Initially, the contract had been awarded to an association led by another Romanian builder, Danlin XXL, for an offer of 4.76 billion lei. UMB contested the decision and the court decided to re-evaluate the offers by CNIR.

A separate element: the builder will prioritize the segment that intersects the A7

Section 1 Târgu Neamț (Moțca) – Târgu Frumos in Iasi county is 27 kilometers long and presents the following special technical elements:

• 36 bridges and passages with a total length of 8.5 kilometers (the passage from km. 27 of 1,100 meters)
• 4 tunnels with a total length of 1.7 kilometers
• 3 road junctions (Moțca DN 24 junction, Pașcani DJ 208 junction and Târgu Frumos DN 28 B junction)

“The builder of this first section of the Moțca-Iași-Ungheni Motorway undertook, according to the tender documentation, to prioritize the execution of a segment with a length of 5.5 kilometers to ensure the connection between Moțca, DN 2/section III of the Unirii-A8 Motorway, the Leghin-Târgu Neamț lot and the Moldovei A7 Motorway, the Bacău-Pașcani section. This segment must be completed, with priority, in 12-month term for synchronizing projects.” declared the general director of CNIR, Gabriel Budescu.

The Moțca – Leghin section is currently being built by UMB. And the same builder is executing the section of the A7 and the road junction between the two highways where they will intersect in the Pașcani area. The A7 section has an estimated completion date of this year.

Status of all sections on the A8 “Unirii” Motorway

1. The A8 motorway is planned to be around 300 kilometers in total and has been divided into 13 sections, in various stages of implementation and managed by two different state companies.
2. Tg. Mureș – Miercurea Nirajului (1A) – 22 km, under construction – Contracted with Nurol, 2.4 billion lei (managed by CNAIR)
3. Miercurea Nirajului – Sărățeni (1B) – 23.4 km, under design – Contracted with Ozaltin, 2.98 billion lei (managed by CNAIR)
4. Sărățeni – Joseni (1C) – 32.4 km, design started in March 2026 – Contracted with UMB, 4.94 billion lei (managed by CNIR)
5. Joseni – Ditrău (1D) – 14.4 km, under design – Contracted with Danlin XXL (Leader) – Groma Hold-Intertranscom Impex, 0.82 billion lei (managed by CNIR)
6. Ditrău – Grințieș (2A) – 38 km, under design – Contracted with UMB, 6.14 billion lei (managed by CNIR)
7. Grințieș – Pipirig (2B) – 31.5 km, design started in March 2026 – Contracted with UMB, 5.97 billion lei (managed by CNIR)
8. Pipirig – Leghin (2C) – 19.3 km, under design – Contracted with UMB, 2.69 billion lei (managed by CNAIR)
9. Leghin – Tg. Neamț (Moțca/DN2) – 29.91 km, under construction – Contracted with UMB, 1.56 billion lei (managed by CNAIR)
10. .Moțca – Tg. Frumos (Tronson 1) – 27 km – The contract was awarded to UMB for 4.87 billion lei. Initially, it was awarded to Danlin XXL for 4.76 billion lei, but the Bucharest Court of Appeal admitted the appeal of UMB, and the offers were reevaluated – (managed by CNIR)
11. Tg Frumos – Lețcani (Tronson 2) – 28.6 km – Assigned to an association led by Danlin XXL for 4.57 billion lei (managed by CNIR)
12. .Lețcani – Iasi Nord (DN24) (Tronson 3) – 17.7 km – Awarded for 3.93 billion lei to FCC Construction (managed by CNIR)
13. Iași Nord (DN24) – Golăiesti – Ungheni/Pod over the Prut (Tronson 4) – 15.5 km, tender launched with an estimated value of 4.7 billion lei. Assigned to Itinera for 3.75 billion lei (managed by CNIR)