New section of Romania's first cross-Carpathian highway opens for traffic
Another portion of the A1 Sibiu – Pitești highway, stretching from Curtea de Argeș to Pitești, opens for traffic on Wednesday, June 11, three months earlier than the contractual deadline, according to the Romanian Transport Ministry.
The A1 Sibiu – Pitești Motorway is 122.11 kilometers long and is divided into five sections. In the end, it will connect central and western Romania to the European highway network, specifically the Pan-European Corridor IV.
The 30 kilometer segment now opening is part of Section 5 of the highway, and opens the way between Curtea de Argeș and Bucharest, over a distance of approximately 140 kilometers, according to HotNews.ro.
The builder, WeBuild (formerly Astaldi) signed with the Transport Ministry in May 2020, after nearly three years of tenders and appeals. The contract provided for 12 months of design and 48 months of execution. The contract value is approximately EUR 356 million.
Currently, the physical completion rate is at 95%, according to the latest data compiled by CESTRIN.
The first segment of this section was opened in December 2024 almost 8 months in advance.
Until now, traffic was partially open on Section 5 between the Bascov and Băiculești interchanges (15.78 kilometers), and on Section 1 (Sibiu – Boița), which is 13.17 kilometers long (opened in December 2022).
Section 2 of the Sibiu – Pitești highway is considered the most difficult portion. It crosses the Olt Valley and involves building seven tunnels. Work began at the end of 2024 on this segment in a EUR 860 million contract.
On Section 3 Tigveni – Cornetu (37.4 km), a consortium of Italian and Romanian contractors signed the contract in August 2022 for the most expensive highway tender ever launched in Romania. Work began in early 2025. The section also involves the building of the largest ecoduct in Romania.
On Section 4 Curtea de Argeș – Tigveni, the Austrian company PORR started work in autumn 2023 and has now fully drilled the two tunnels of the Momaia tunnel.
The Sibiu – Pitești highway is the first in Romania to cross the Carpathian mountains. Sections 3 and 4 are set to open in 2028.
(Photo source: Cristian Pistol on Facebook)
