Romanian road revamp

RSSRomania’s long planned highway expansion programme is finally gathering pace. Funding for the projects has been provided but although many feasibility studies had been carried out, little work had been carried out until now. Romania’s National Highways and Roads Company has announced that construction works on four motorway segments started in October 2011. The four segments, Nadlac-Arad (2 segments), Timisoara-Lugoj and Orastie-Sibiu, have a combined length of almost 60km and the works cost €450.45 million (US$626 million) in total. The first segment of the Nadlac-Arad highway is being built by a consortium formed by Romstrade - 2753 Monte Adriano Engenharia e Construcao - Donep Construct and is costing €116 million. The project involves construction of 22.18km of motorway, five bridges, six passageways, one junction and 16 small bridges. The second segment of the Nadlac-Arad highway, costing €124.45 million to build, was awarded to 1332 Alpine Bau. The project involves the construction of 17km of highway, three bridges, seven passageways and two junctions. A segment of the Timisoara-Lugoj highway is being built by Spedition UMB-Tehnostrade-Carena Impresa di Costruzioni consortium for €63.6 million. The project comprises 9.5km of highway, four bridges, six passageways and one junction. A segment of the Orastie-Sibiu highway is carried out by a consortium formed by 1324 Astaldi, 3173 Astalrom and 3172 Euroconstruct Trading 98, while the project costs €146.6 million. Meanwhile two Chinese contractors, China Dalian International Holdings and 2661 China Communications Construction Company, are showing strong interest in the project to build a new ring road around Romanian capital Bucharest. Romania’s National Highways and Roads Company estimates that the construction of the 48km segment of ring road will cost €902 million ($1.25 billion).