East–West Motorway (Romania)

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A8 motorway
The Union Motorway
Autostrada Unirii
Route information
Maintained by Compania Națională de Autostrăzi și Drumuri Naționale din România
Length0 km (0 mi; 0 ft)
29.9 km (18.6 mi) under construction
22 km (14 mi) tendered
304.37 km (189.13 mi) planned
Major junctions
East end R 1 at Ungheni (border with Moldova)[1]
Major intersections
West end A 3 near Târgu Mureș
Location
CountryRomania
Highway system
← A 7→ A 9

The A8 motorway (Romanian: Autostrada A8), also known as The Union Motorway (Romanian: Autostrada Unirii[2]) or the East-West Motorway (Romanian: Autostrada Est-Vest[3]) is a planned motorway in Romania, that will cross the Eastern Carpathians to connect the historical regions of Moldavia and Transylvania.

Early plans estimated the first opening as early as 2009.[4] With a total length of around 304 kilometres (189 mi),[5] and an estimated cost of 4.07 billion €, the motorway will begin from the junction with the A3 motorway near Târgu Mureș, and will run through Sovata, Ditrău, Târgu Neamț, Pașcani, Târgu Frumos and Iași.[6] At its eastern end, the motorway will cross the Prut river at Ungheni to reach Moldova's R1 highway, which further heads east towards Chișinău.[1]

The A8 motorway is divided into five segments: Târgu Mureș – Ditrău segment of 92.1 kilometres (57.2 mi), Ditrău – junction with DN2 segment of 118.8 kilometres (73.8 mi), DN2 – Iași segment of 61.3 kilometres (38.1 mi), Iași Nord bypass segment of 17 kilometres (11 mi), and Iași – Ungheni border segment (TBD).[7][8]

Pre-feasibility studies performed in 2007 were followed by feasibility studies in 2009–2011. As of February 2015, the feasibility study revision and update is being conducted by private contractors.[3] The auction for the execution of the Târgu Mureș - Târgu Neamț segment were expected to be launched in 2021.[9]

The tenders for two sections (Section 1 - 22 kilometres (14 mi): Târgu Mureș - Miercurea Nirajului, and Section 3 - 29.91 kilometres (18.59 mi): Leghin – Târgu Neamț) are set to be submitted by 27 February 2023 and 28 February 2023 respectively. The duration of the contracts are 30 months long, 6 months for planning and 24 months for the execution.[10]

On 20 September 2023, the contract for the design and execution of the Leghin – Târgu Neamț section (between Vânători-Neamț and Boureni (junction with DN2)) was signed with the SA&PE Construct-Spedition UMB-Tehnostrade association.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Acord între Guvernul României şi cel al Moldovei pentru un pod rutier peste Prut, la Ungheni". ziaruldeiasi.ro. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  2. ^ Ovidiu Bărbulescu (31 October 2018). "Utopia continuă în Parlament: Guvernul este obligat prin lege să construiască Autostrada Unirii, de peste 300 kilometri, în 4 ani, plus un pod nou peste Prut". Profit.ro. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Autostrada A8 Targu Mures - Iasi: Autostrada care ar urma sa lege Moldova cu Vestul". Hotnews.ro. 9 March 2015.
  4. ^ Archived copy Archived 30 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "East–West Motorway plan". Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ Documente Master Plan General de Transport (in Romanian)
  7. ^ "Primii pași pentru autostrada A8 Tg. Mureș - Tg. Neamț. Consilier al premierului: "S-au făcut peste 70 de foraje în zona Mureș"". monitorizari.hotnews.ro. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Autostrada Unirii A8 Tg. Mureș - Iași - Ungheni: Ce termene își asumă Transporturile pentru fiecare tronson". monitorizari.hotnews.ro. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Autostrada Unirii: Se lucrează la documentația tehnică. De la 1 ianuarie, 2021, demarează licitația pentru atribuirea lucrărilor pe tronsonul Târgu Mureș - Târgu Neamț". 9 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Autostrada "Unirii" A8 care trece munții spre Moldova: Primele tronsoane, scoase la licitație / Cursa contracronometru să prindă banii din PNRR". hotnews.ro (in Romanian). 21 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Primul contract semnat pe Autostrada „Unirii" A8: Românii de la UMB vor construi primii kilometri din autostrada care va uni Moldova de Transilvania" [The first contract signed on the A8 "Unirii" Highway: the Romanians from UMB will build the first kilometers of the highway that will connect Moldavia with Transylvania]. hotnews.ro. 19 September 2023.

External links