250km of highways promised for 2026, none completed in first six months

Romania's ambitious highway construction targets for 2026 have stalled, with no new kilometers opened in the first six months of the year despite official projections.

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In 2025 we reached the milestone of 1,418 kilometers of high-speed roads! This year we opened another 146 km of highway and expressway for traffic. Next year is even more ambitious: in 2026 the target is 250 new kilometers!

Authorities, including Cristian Pistol, director of the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR), had announced plans to open 250 kilometers of new highways and expressways in 2026. This followed a relatively successful 2025, which saw nearly 150 kilometers completed. The 2026 goals included 125 km of the A7 highway, 28 km of the A0 North ring road, and specific sections of the A1, A3, and the Brăila-Galați expressway.

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A7 (Moldova Highway): another 125 km will be ready, allowing traffic on the highway up to Pașcani. The completion of the A0 northern ring will ensure an uninterrupted connection of 578 km between Pașcani and Constanța (A7-A3-A0-A2).

However, the first half of 2026 passed without any of these segments becoming operational. The A7 highway was expected to extend to Pașcani, creating a continuous 578 km route from there to Constanța when combined with the A3, A0, and A2. The A1 Sibiu-Pitești section 4, including Romania's first Austrian-method tunnel, the Momaia Tunnel, was also anticipated. The Margina-Holdea sector on A1, crucial for western Romania, and 68 km of the A3 Transilvania Highway, extending the route to 200 km towards the Hungarian border, were also part of the plan.

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Premier on A1 Sibiu-Pitești: we are opening section 4 (Curtea de Argeș-Tigveni) and putting the Momaia Tunnel into traffic, the first road tunnel in Romania dug using the Austrian method.

July 2026 may finally see the first openings, with the 12.24 km Zimbor-Poarta Sălajului section of the Transilvania Highway nearing completion. The opening of this segment, along with the Românași interchange, is expected soon. Despite these potential openings, the overall progress falls significantly short of the initial 250 km target for the year, with some projects, like the A7 highway, confirmed to extend into 2027.

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Margina-Holdea sector (A1): we aim to complete the 9.13 km, including the tunnels. This opening is however conditioned by the success of complex tests for the safety and monitoring equipment.