Skip to main content

Romanian road issues

Political controversy is looming with the revelation that Romania's National Road Company (CNADNR) has spent some €1.5 billion on upgrading 2,800 km of roads since 2004.
March 5, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Political controversy is looming with the revelation that Romania's National Road Company (2870 CNADNR) has spent some €1.5 billion on upgrading 2,800 km of roads since 2004.

The funding for the road improvements was supplied jointly by Romania's state budget as well as from European sources. One issue is that CNADNR has been accused of mis-spending over €93 million of 2332 World Bank funding in 2004, when it missed targets set by the bank intended to establish project management standards. Although funding has been routed from international sources into Romania's road network, little benefit appears to have been achieved so far. Romania's road authorities have invested in feasibility studies for highway projects but the amount of construction work carried out to date has been minimal.

For example, only now is Austrian contractor 945 Strabag working on a project to upgrade Romania's DN14 and DN15A national roads in deals worth a total of some €106 million. STRABAG's deal will see the firm upgrading a total of 150km of road, with the work commencing in April 2011 and scheduled for completion in March 2013. As part of its contract, STRABAG will widen and improve the existing road network, upgrade bridges, and install safety measures. The work forms part of the sixth rehabilitation programme of national roads in Romania and is financed by funds from the 1054 European Investment Bank and from the national budget.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Important road project for Mongolia’s capital
    November 24, 2021
    An important flyover project is planned for Mongolia’s capital.
  • Hungary’s national road development boom gathers pace
    January 7, 2014
    Hungary is experiencing a road development boom. In line with the country's New Szechenyi Plan (USZT), some €3.67 billion (HUF 1.1 trillion) is to be made available for road development works. National infrastructure development company NIF says it launched road projects worth a total of €1.5 billion (HUF 450 billion) in 2013. Contracts have been signed for the full amount. Hungary's M4 motorway is to be opened in 2016 between Abony and Fegyvernek. The 29km motorway section will also include a bridge over
  • Delays for key Brazilian road projects
    March 3, 2016
    A series of major road projects in Brazil now look set to be delayed. Key road widening projects works awarded between 2012 and 2013 may now take longer than the original five year deadline to complete. Six road concession projects were awarded in the period, totalling over 3,000km of roads to be extended or upgraded. The contracts require that at least 10% of the planned work must be complete before any tolls can be charged. This initial phase has been carried out, but later stages to expand the roads have
  • Albania funding
    June 25, 2012
    In Albania the government is giving its approval for an €80million (US$104.4million) loan being provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The project is for the Fier bypass, which forms part of the Tirana–Vlora highway. The project has faced a series of delays since work commenced a number of years ago. However, this new funding will help ensure that the work is completed.