Traffic on the 13 kilometers of the A0 North Motorway, between Afumați, Pantelimon, and Cernica, was not opened on Monday, October 26, as announced by the former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport, Horațiu Cosma.
Cosma claims that the works were deliberately slowed down, on the orders of Sorin Grindeanu, to prevent the opening of the motorway on the announced date. CNAIR rejects the accusations and states that the section cannot be opened to traffic safely because there are still works to be completed.
The road company asks the former official to apologize for allegedly misleading the public and refuses to announce a new inauguration date.
Cosma: Grindeanu and Pistol said "NO"
In a post on Facebook, Horațiu Cosma directly accuses Sorin Grindeanu and the CNAIR director, Cristian Pistol, of blocking the opening of the motorway for political reasons. "Today we were supposed to be driving on A0 North, between Afumați and Cernica. The plan was made, the works were in the last few meters, and the opening of traffic was prepared.
But Grindeanu and Pistol said 'NO.' They decided to delay a few more days. They decided that their political egos are more important than the time lost in traffic, than the nerves, and than the safety of the tens of thousands of people waiting to be able to drive on a modern motorway around Bucharest," wrote Cosma.
The former Secretary of State claims that only a few hundred meters of guardrails remained to be installed, works that could have been completed in two to three days. "The builders had a few hundred meters of guardrails left to install on the motorway body. Work for 2-3 days. Pistol, on Grindeanu's orders, told them to take it easy," Cosma states.
He compares the situation with previous delays recorded on the Sebeș–Turda and Lugoj–Deva motorways and accuses PSD of treating infrastructure projects as instruments of political confrontations. "With PSD in government, we see the same contempt for the citizens' welfare. They don't even try to hide it anymore. The same arrogance. The same landlord mentality, for whom Romania's infrastructure is a political toy," the former official added.
CNAIR asks Cosma to apologize
On the other hand, CNAIR claims that the works are not finished and that opening traffic at this moment would pose safety issues.
The company's spokesperson, Alin Șerbănescu, explained to HotNews that over a hundred meters of guardrails still need to be installed, markings must be made, and road signs installed. Also, works on the rainwater collection systems are necessary.
According to him, recent rains have prevented the completion of the markings, and the machinery working on the drainage systems still occupies part of the roadway.
The CNAIR representative rejected the idea that the motorway is intentionally kept closed. "Mr. Cosma should apologize for misleading the Romanian public," Alin Șerbănescu told HotNews.
He insisted that traffic safety is a priority and that the institution does not keep motorway sections closed that meet all the conditions for opening.
CNAIR refuses to provide a new inauguration date. The official announcement will be made after the completion of the works and the start of the reception process, at least one day before the opening to traffic.
What is happening with the 13 kilometers of motorway
The postponed opening concerns two lots of A0 North, with a total length of approximately 13 kilometers.
Lot 3, between Afumați and Pantelimon, is 8.6 kilometers long and is built by the Chinese company China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). The works are almost finished, but interventions are still necessary for the section to be opened to traffic.
Lot 4, between Pantelimon and Cernica, is approximately 4.5 kilometers and was completed by the Romanian builder UMB since summer. It cannot be opened separately because there is no road junction at the intersection with DN3 that would allow exiting the motorway.
The Ilfov County Council estimates that the two sections will be opened by the end of 2026.
Once inaugurated, approximately 83 of the 100 kilometers of the A0 Ring Motorway will be available for traffic, allowing faster connections between the A2 and A3 motorways without crossing Bucharest.