Romania’s motorway map after two decades of construction: “People quickly get used to good things”

Romania’s motorway and expressway network has reached about 1,476 kilometers, but the map still shows large gaps after two decades of construction. Another 991 kilometers are currently being built, according to an updated map from the 130km.ro platform.

Fast roads now reach almost every historic region of the country. Yet many counties still have no motorway or expressway, and cities such as Iași and Brașov remain weakly connected. Many Romanians also continue to complain that the crossings of the Carpathians have not been completed.

The north remains particularly distant from the motorway network. Satu Mare and Maramureș have no motorway or expressway open to traffic. The 11-kilometer Oar-Satu Mare expressway received a construction contract in 2025, but work has been delayed. For the Satu Mare-Baia Mare connection, the feasibility study is complete and the next step is to launch a construction tender.

Bistrița-Năsăud and Botoșani also lack fast roads. Both counties lie on the proposed route of the North Motorway, intended to connect northwestern Romania with Bucovina, but much of the route remains in preparation. In the northeast, the A7 and A8 motorways are expanding the network. The Moldavia Motorway reached the Bacău area in 2026, while sections between Bacău and Pașcani are under construction. Sections of the A7 toward Suceava and Siret are at different stages, with some Suceava-Siret lots currently expected to finish in 2029.

The A8 Union Motorway, from Târgu Mureș to Iași and Ungheni, is planned to cross Neamț and Harghita. Several sections have been contracted or are under construction, but crossing the Eastern Carpathians will be among Romania’s most difficult road projects. In the southeast, Brăila and Galați lack motorways, although the roughly 12-kilometer Brăila-Galați expressway is under construction and scheduled to open in 2026. Tulcea remains outside the fast-road network.

In the southwest, Caraș-Severin and Mehedinți have no motorway or expressway. Only about 10.5 kilometers of the A6, between the Lugoj ring road and Balinț in Timiș County, have been built so far. Gorj and Vâlcea also have no fast roads open to traffic, although the A1 Sibiu-Pitești will cross Vâlcea. Its two most difficult mountain sections, Boița-Cornetu and Cornetu-Tigveni, are currently scheduled for 2029.

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People quickly get used to good things