The future of Bucharest’s beltway seems gloomier by the day; although only 20 of its 72 kilometers have been rehabilitated so far, now there is hardly any chance for work to continue on the remaining 50 this fall. CNADNR, which is in charge of the beltway, has no other way out than put contracts on hold until it gets more money.
Looking at the revised budget of the Transport Ministry published on the website of the Finance Ministry, this year’s allocation for upgrading Bucharest’s beltway is of merely 12.8 million (EUR2.9 million), after having been set at RON209.4 million at the beginning of the year. CNADNR has signed five contracts for the rehabilitation of 50 kilometers of highway since 2008, without getting any funding though.
“The budget allocations for investment have been cut. When the tender started (for a section of Bucharest beltway for which the contract was signed last week) it had a budget allocated, now it has shrunk,” said Mircea Pop, general manager of CNADNR. “We have the right to keep the contract on hold for a while, until we get some money. We hope to have the necessary money for the beltway next year.”
The only funds still earmarked for the beltway this year will be used to build a bridge at the 23rd kilometer where the Sun Highway (A2) connecting Bucharest with the seaside meets the beltway.
The Transport Ministry lost the most money of all ministries at the budget revision, about EUR300 million and was left with EUR3.1 billion. Some projects had their funding slashed, while others got more money. For instance, the Cernavoda-Medgidia section of the A2 highway received about EUR85.3 million after revision, compared with the initial EUR42.2 million, according to ZF’s calculations based on the figures in the ministry’s budget.
Asked why the cut of the funds for roads and bridges by almost EUR117.3 million after the revision, Mircea Pop merely said, “You do realize I am the first person in Romania who wants to have the necessary money for the company (CNADNR i.e.), don’t you?”
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)