Romania’s high altitude road Transfagarasan might open earlier this year

Romania’s mountain road Transfagarasan might be reopened for traffic this Saturday, June 18, earlier than in any other year. Usually, the road opens for summer traffic starting July 1. This year, due to the favorable weather conditions, the management of the national highways company CNADNR decided that the analysis committee for Transfagarasan could meet earlier. It also asked the committee its view on the possibility to open the road before the date prescribed by the operating rules (July 1), reads a CNDNR statement. The analysis committee met on Thursday on the road to check its condition. “It reviewed the entire road. No one had any objections. So, we expect a decision from the CNADNR management, which, I believe, will be that the Transfagarasan will open Saturday. However, we’ll wait for a written confirmation,” Gheorghe Mihaita, the head of the Arges Department within CNADNR, told local Mediafax. The Transfagarasan road was built on the orders of Communist era dictator Nicolae Ceausescu between 1970 and 1974 to ensure a military strategic route through the mountains. It has a length of 90 km and reaches an altitude of 2040 m. The road usually stays open only four months a year, due to the snow at high altitude. The road became famous worldwide after the famous British auto show Top Gear filmed an episode on it in 2009. Since then, the road has been used as a setup for international TV shows and TV commercials. Ford recently included Transfagarasan in its Europe’s Greatest Driving Roads video series, which show both famous routes and little-known gems. Travel planner: The Transfagarasan, Romania’s high altitude winding road to greatness Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com