♦ Connecting Moldova to the national highway network opens an economic potential estimated at 3-5 billion euros in private investments for the next decade, conditional on the completion of the road infrastructure. With works in progress of 85% on the Pietroasele-Buzău section and more than 80% on the Focșani-Bacău segment, CNAIR confirms the opening of traffic up to Focșani in November, possibly up to Adjud if the weather permits. Logistics developers are already positioning Moldova as the next industrial hub, in a market where available stocks are zero, and every year of delay generates opportunity costs of 500 million euros and 10,000 lost jobs.
Romania is taking concrete steps towards connecting Moldova to the national highway network, with clear prospects for opening traffic on important segments by the end of the year. Lot 3 of the Ploieşti-Buzău highway registers a physical progress of 85%, and on the A7 Focşani-Bacău works exceed 80%, with 1,500 workers and 422 machines mobilized on the site. CNAIR estimates that by the end of November it will be possible to drive uninterrupted on the highway from Bucharest to Focşani, and in favorable weather conditions, even to Adjud. The massive investments from PNRR and the sustained pace of works can transform Moldova into an emerging logistics pole, with a direct impact on the regional economy.
Association of Turkish Builders
Nurol-Makyol is mobilized on lot 3 Pietroasele-Buzău with 360 workers and 239 machines, and physical progress has reached 85%. «At this rate of work, I estimate that at the end of November we will open the 13.9 km of this lot to traffic, so that we can circulate uninterrupted on the highway from Bucharest to Focşani», declared Cristian Pistol, general director, CNAIR. The contract worth 1.093 billion lei without VAT is fully financed by PNRR. On lot 2 of the Focşani-Bacău highway, between Domneşti Târg and Răcăciuni, the Romanian contractor UMB Spedition maintains an alert pace with approximately 1,500 mobilized workers. «Works are underway at the Adjud and Răcăciuni road junctions, where the physical stage has reached 65% and 85%, respectively. In parallel, the builder is working on embankments, laying asphalt mixtures and the wear layer, installing metal parapets, making road markings and installing sound-absorbing panels», details the director of CNAIR. The prospects are optimistic for the partial opening of traffic up to Adjud already this year. «By the end of 2025, traffic could be opened for about 17 km, between Domneşti Târg and Adjud», says Pistol. He adds that «if the current pace of work is maintained, next year we will be able to travel on the highway from Bucharest to Paşcani, over a distance of 390 km, via A3 and A7». The economic impact of these developments is already visible in the logistics market. Andrei Brînzea, business development land & industrial within Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, emphasizes the importance of infrastructure for the logistics sector: «Moldova is seen as the next logistics pole, with the progress of works on the A7. I am optimistic about that area, if the infrastructure works will be finished. At the moment you have very little logistics in that region and the majority is 100% rented, you have no available stock». The European financial context brings additional opportunities. The European Commission allocates 16.68 billion euros to Romania through the Security Action for Europe program, the second largest amount after Poland, with the A7 Paşcani-Suceava-Siret and A8 Paşcani-Iaşi-Ungheni highways eligible for funding. The financial instrument, operational until December 31, 2030, allows a pre-financing of 15% of the loan amount, facilitating the accelerated start of the works. «Iași and the North-East of Romania are on the map of major investments, with a direct impact on the economy, mobility and our geopolitical position», says Costel Alexe, president of the Iași County Council. Preliminary analyzes of industrial developers indicate a potential to attract 3-5 billion euros of private investments in the next decade, conditional on the completion of fast road connections. Romania continues to recover the infrastructural gap, with about 8 km of highway per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 15 km in Poland or the Czech Republic. However, the network has expanded by 90% in the last decade, and by 2026 it is estimated that 1,000 km of high-speed roads will be in the works. For the east, the Moldova Highway represents the first direct link to the national network, and its completion will fundamentally reshape Romania's economic map.
For other news, analyses, articles and business information in real time, follow NV on WhatsApp Channels