Drivers could travel, before Christmas, on more than 30 additional kilometers of the Transylvania Motorway. The Nădășelu–Zimbor section, one of the most anticipated on the A3, could be opened around December 15th, if the remaining works progress according to estimates. The opening would allow uninterrupted traffic on over 155 kilometers of motorway, from Poarta Sălajului to Târgu Mureș.
The Pro Infrastructure Association has analyzed the progress of the works and believes that the contractors need about another month and a half to finish what remains to be done.
What works remain to be done
The main remaining works are the two route diversions at Nădășelu and Topa Mică, carried out by the Turkish company Ozaltin. „Given the current situation on site, also considering the weather, we estimate that a month and a half should be enough for the Turks from Ozaltin to complete the diversions at Nădășelu and Topa Mică,” states the Pro Infrastructure Association.
If the estimate is confirmed, the Turkish contractor will finish the works about three months ahead of the contractual deadline, set for March 2027.
On the rest of the section, UMB still has to complete some works outside the motorway route, install expansion joints, and finish the service areas.
Unlike Ozaltin, UMB is completing the section almost three years later than originally scheduled, in December 2023. The project was affected by ground stability issues and technical difficulties, which required route modifications in two areas, at Nădășelu and Topa Mică. The works for these diversions were separately awarded to the Turkish company Ozaltin.
Continuous connection on A3 up to Târgu Mureș
The opening of the Nădășelu–Zimbor section would complete the connection with the approximately 12 kilometers between Zimbor and Poarta Sălajului, inaugurated on August 11th. Thus, drivers could travel uninterrupted on over 155 kilometers of the Transylvania Motorway, from Nădășelu to Târgu Mureș.
The date of December 15th remains, for now, an estimate by the Pro Infrastructure Association, not an official inauguration date. The opening depends on the completion of the remaining works, as well as on weather conditions in the coming weeks.