Romanian Motorway

When Romania celebrated its induction into the European Union in January 2007, its president described EU membership as “the road of our future.” Romania’s economic hopes are also ingrained in an actual road now under construction—the Autostrada Transilvania.

Romania is counting on the sleek new highway to bring the country’s infrastructure in line with that of its new economic partners. The road will likely become the preferred route between the Black Sea and Western Europe.

The first 26-mile (42-kilometer) segment opened to traffic in December 2009. Other segments are set to open over the next three years. 

In June 2004, Bechtel and partner Enka broke ground on the Autostrada Transilvania project. The entire motorway will stretch 258 miles (415 kilometers)--a four-lane highway along with 173 bridges, 84 overpasses, and 19 interchanges.

So far, 14 archaeological teams have retrieved artifacts during excavation. Digs around Cluj revealed a 6,500-year-old settlement with huts and 3,300-year-old colored pottery.

Bechtel and Enka have worked hard to reuse as much excavated material as possible. What started as a necessity for construction became an important part of the community affairs program when the team moved soil and planted trees to create a new outdoor recreation area for the rural community of Valisoara.

For Romania, the road ahead looks bright. For more information, see the September 2007 Bechtel Briefs.