Romania marks the first highway inauguration of the year on Tuesday. Traffic opens on the 12.24 kilometers of the Transylvania Highway (A3) between Zimbor and Poarta Sălajului starting at 4:00 PM.
The new section is part of the Transylvania Highway and was built by the SA&PE Construct – Spedition UMB – Tehnostrade consortium. The contract is valued at 905 million lei, excluding VAT, according to CNAIR.
Pro Infrastructure Association (API) points out, however, that the section is inaugurated with a considerable delay. The contract was signed in July 2020 and stipulated 12 months for design and 24 months for execution.
A section that should have been completed long ago
According to API, the initial deadline indicated the completion of works by December 2023. Even considering technical problems and difficulties encountered on-site, the section should have been ready by August 2024 at the latest.
The Association believes that UMB bears a significant part of the responsibility for the delay, but also mentions the issues caused by landslides, as well as the delays generated by decisions from CNAIR.
Significant problems have also arisen on the neighboring section Nădășelu-Zimbor. Landslides have necessitated additional solutions and route diversions in the Topa Mică and Nădășelu areas.
Over 155 km of highway continues to Târgu Mureș
API estimates that the works on these diversions, carried out by the Turkish company Ozaltin, could be completed by the end of autumn, at the latest by December.
At that point, drivers are expected to be able to travel on the highway along all 42.3 kilometers between Poarta Sălajului and Nădășelu, and from there, further on A3 to Târgu Mureș.
In total, it would result in over 155 kilometers of continuous highway travel.
With the opening of the Zimbor-Poarta Sălajului section, Romania reaches 1,428.5 kilometers of highways and express roads in operation, according to Pro Infrastructure's calculations.
The next significant inauguration is expected at the end of August, on the Moldova Highway A7: approximately 47 kilometers between Adjud Nord and Bacău Sud.