A8 Motorway crosses the Prut: Moldova prepares the next stage of the Ungheni–Chisinau–Odesa road corridor

The A8 Union Motorway project is beginning to take on a regional dimension beyond Romania’s borders

The Republic of Moldova has launched a tender for the feasibility study of an approximately 125-kilometre section linking Ungheni with the Chisinau area, an important stage in the development of the future road corridor towards Odesa. At the same time, Romania has taken decisive steps to complete the A8 route to the border with the Republic of Moldova.

The A8 Motorway, one of the most important infrastructure projects in the Moldavia region, is increasingly taking shape as a strategic regional road axis, capable of connecting Transylvania and Romania’s Moldavia region with the Republic of Moldova and, subsequently, Ukraine.

The authorities in Chisinau have taken another step in this direction by launching the procedure for the preparation of a feasibility study covering an approximately 125-kilometre section between Ungheni and Budești, near the municipality of Chisinau.

The initiative is relevant not only for the Republic of Moldova’s infrastructure, but also for Romania, as it continues, beyond the Prut River, the route that the A8 motorway will follow on Romanian territory.

A 125-kilometre section enters the design preparation stage

The National Road Administration of the Republic of Moldova has launched the tender for design services related to the feasibility study.

The section under analysis will start at the Ungheni road junction and run for approximately 125 kilometres to the intersection with the M5/R5 roads, near Budești, within the Chisinau municipality.

The feasibility study will establish the technical and economic solutions required for the subsequent design and, eventually, construction phases.

The documentation will include, among other elements, traffic studies, technical assessments, environmental impact evaluations, identification of the land required for construction, and solutions for relocating utility networks.

Technical and economic analyses, cost estimates, bills of quantities and graphic documentation will also be prepared.

The estimated value of the contract is MDL 87,880,953, excluding VAT, with financing to be provided from the Road Fund of the Republic of Moldova.

Interested companies may submit their bids until 21 September 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

A8, from Târgu Mureș to Chisinau and, eventually, Odesa

The significance of the project goes beyond the construction of a simple road connection between two locations.

In Romania, the A8 Union Motorway is planned to cross the country from Târgu Mureș, through the Carpathians and the Moldavia region, to Ungheni, at the border with the Republic of Moldova.

Once the connection across the Prut is completed, the route could continue towards Chisinau and subsequently towards Odesa, in Ukraine.

The infrastructure developed on both sides of the Prut could therefore form a road corridor capable of connecting western Romania and Central Europe with the Republic of Moldova and southwestern Ukraine.

From an economic perspective, such a connection could have significant implications for freight transport, logistics, labour mobility and the development of regional trade.

For the Republic of Moldova, direct access to Romania’s motorway network would also provide faster connectivity with road infrastructure and markets in the European Union.

Romania has taken a decisive step towards the Iași–Ungheni connection

On the Romanian side, the A8 project has also entered an important phase.

In July, authorities announced the signing of the contract for the last A8 section still awaiting award, between Iași and Ungheni, with an estimated value of approximately RON 3.57 billion.

The importance of this section is even greater because the project includes an unprecedented component for Romania’s road infrastructure: approximately five kilometres of motorway are to be built on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, based on the intergovernmental agreement concluded between the two countries.

Through this solution, the motorway will physically connect to Moldova’s road infrastructure, meaning that the link between Romania and Chisinau is no longer merely a long-term objective, but a concrete component of the A8 project.

First A8 kilometres could open to traffic in 2027

While the cross-border project is moving forward, works in Romania are also providing a clearer timeline for the opening of the first A8 kilometres.

Romania’s State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, Horațiu Cosma, said in July that the first kilometres of the A8 could be open to traffic in the first part of 2027.

The statement refers to the approximately 24-kilometre section between Târgu Mureș and Miercurea Nirajului, where construction had reached a physical progress rate of around 50%.

If the current pace of works is maintained, this section could become the first part of the A8 to be opened to traffic.

An infrastructure project with regional economic significance

For Romania’s Moldavia region, the A8 represents much more than an investment in road infrastructure. The motorway could significantly change the region’s economic positioning by reducing transport times and improving connections between economic centres in Moldavia, Transylvania and the rest of the country.

Extending this connection into the Republic of Moldova gives the project an additional cross-border and geopolitical dimension.

In the longer term, the Târgu Mureș–Iași–Ungheni–Chisinau–Odesa corridor could become an important route for the movement of people and goods between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

The launch of the feasibility study for the 125-kilometre section in the Republic of Moldova does not yet mean that motorway construction across the Prut is beginning. It is, however, a necessary step for defining the route, assessing costs and preparing the subsequent investment stages.

If projects on both sides of the Prut advance according to current plans, the A8 could become one of the main infrastructure links connecting Romania’s Moldavia region with Chisinau and, further east, with Ukraine’s economic and logistics space.