Romania and Hungary sign agreements to connect border highways

Romania and Hungary have signed an agreement to connect highways in the two countries. The Romanian Transport Minister, Anca Boagiu, and the Hungarian Minister of National Development, Pal Volner, signed Tuesday in Budapest, two intergovernmental agreements for Arad-Nadlac and Cluj Napoca - Santaul Mare (Bors) highways connection with the ones in Hungary. This will ensure the same technical parameters for highways in Romania and in Hungary, as well as the quality of the connection between the highways. “From the meeting with Mr. Volner in Bucharest in December 2010 we have made considerable progress in contracting European funds for transport infrastructure, we have signed contracts for EUR 1.4 billion in the recent months”, said Anca Boagiu. The Nadlac-Arad highway construction was divided into two parts. The first part will be executed by the Romanian-Portuguese association, Romstrade-Monteadriano Engenharia e Construcao-Donep Construct, for the amount of EUR 115.8 million. The second part will be designed and executed by the German company Alpine Bau, in a contract of EUR 124.45 million. The Cluj Napoca-Santaul Mare (Bors) highway is part of Transylvania Highway project started in 2003 and built by the American company Bechtel, on the Brasov-Cluj Napoca-Bors route. So far only 52 km have been built. Works have been stopped due to lack of funds. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Sxc.hu)