Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, during a visit to the construction site of the A0 South Motorway along with the Minister of Transport, expressed his hope that 140 kilometers of the Moldova Highway will be operational by 2024. This comes despite his earlier request for CNAIR to complete the entire motorway within this year.
Ciolacu noted that the Ministry of Transport, led by Sorin Grindeanu, is currently working on 780 kilometers of motorway and expressways, along with approximately 1,500 kilometers of railway.
“Especially in the road sector—where I give the example of the Moldova Highway and where we hope to open 140 kilometers this year—the co-financing of European funds, specifically from the PNRR, is nearly 50%,” he said.
In May 2023, before becoming Prime Minister, Ciolacu believed that the entire Moldova Highway A7, stretching from Ploiești to Pașcani (320 km), could be completed by 2024, ahead of contractual deadlines and the major PNRR milestone of August 2026.
“I will not halt investments. This is how Romania develops, as other European countries and EU members have done. Portugal, Spain, and Italy have done the same. This is Romania’s best moment for investments, especially in infrastructure. Because automatically, when you have infrastructure like the Moldova Highway, investments will follow,” the Prime Minister added.
Current status of the Moldova highway A7 construction
- A7 Ploiești – Buzău
- Lot 1 Ploiești – Mizil: Spanning 21 km and constructed by Pizzarotti – Retter, this segment is 72% complete, with a completion deadline in October 2024.
- Lot 2 Mizil – Pietroasele: Built by Coni Trace, this 28 km section is 77.5% complete, with a deadline in October 2024.
- Lot 3 Pietroasele / Spătaru – Buzău: Constructed by Nurol-Makyol Association, this 14 km lot is 7.5% complete. The contractor has cleared the road and started work on structures. The completion deadline is November 2025.
- A7 Buzău – Focșani
- Lot 1 Buzău – Vadu Pașii: Built by UMB, this segment is 45% complete. It includes 4.6 km of motorway and approximately 8 km of connecting roads. Completion is expected in August 2024.
- Lot 2 Vadu Pașii – Râmnicu Sărat: This 30.8 km section, also under UMB’s construction, is 44% complete, with an initial layer of asphalt laid over most of the lot.
- Lot 3 Râmnicu Sărat – Mândrești Munteni: Covering 36.1 km and built by UMB, this lot is 40% complete, with a first layer of asphalt laid along almost its entire length. The contractual deadline is Q2 2025.
- Lot 4 Mândrești Munteni – Focșani Nord: Known as the “Focșani hump,” this 10.9 km segment plus a few kilometers of connecting roads, also constructed by UMB, is 45% complete, though fieldwork shows more advanced progress. The deadline is Q3 this year.
- A7 Focșani – Bacău
- Lot 1 Focșani – Domnești-Târg: This 35.6 km section, built by UMB, is 22% complete, with a deadline in Q3 2025. However, mobilization is weaker compared to southern Focșani.
- Lot 2 Domnești-Târg – Răcăciuni: Also under UMB’s construction, this 38.7 km lot is 20% complete, with a November 2025 deadline. A partial opening for a bypass around Adjud is anticipated, although progress is slower in the northern part.
- Lot 3 Răcăciuni – Municipiul Bacău: This 21.5 km segment is 11% complete and appears to be a lower priority for UMB, with a November 2025 deadline.
- A7 Bacău – Pașcani
- Lot 1 Săucești – Trifești: Spanning 30.3 km, this lot is 13% complete, with UMB expecting to finish it in Q4 2025. Work is in its early stages.
- Lot 2 Trifești – Gherăești/Mircești: This 19 km lot, also constructed by UMB, has less than 10% progress but shows better advancement than the southern Bacău lots. The completion deadline is Q4 2025.
- Lot 3 Mircești – Pașcani: Covering 28 km, this lot is 12% complete, with UMB aiming to finish it in Q4 2025.
The Prime Minister’s statements reflect an ambitious and optimistic approach, highlighting the government’s desire to accelerate major infrastructure projects to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment. Completing the A7 Motorway is crucial for better connecting the country’s regions and improving the flow of goods and people, significantly contributing to Romania’s economic development.
The final deadline for the A7 motorway is set for 2026. However, Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu had estimated during the signing of contracts for the 10 lots between Buzău and Pașcani that completion would occur in 2025.
