CNADNR, however, has barely made any progress with this highway as it is now just set out to revise the feasibility study.
“To prepare the application for funding (for European funds i.e.), we need to revise the existing feasibility study done in 2008, so as to bring it in line with the current technical, financial, social and economic requirements as well as in terms of the explanation of the need and timeliness of the investment to be able to get financial assistance from the European Commission,” Narcis Neaga, CNADNR manager, told ZF.
CNADNR started the necessary actions for the tender to revise the feasibility study in the spring of last year, when Alexandru Nazare (Democratic-Liberal Party) was transport minister. The EUR14 million tender was cancelled in November, when Ovidiu Silaghi (National Liberal Party) was in charge at the Transport Ministry.
CNADNR changed its mind again and wants to redo the feasibility study for Sibiu-Pitesti highway and is now working with Jaspers (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions i.e.) on the necessary papers to do it, Narcis Neaga said.
Whereas the company said last year that the Sibiu-Pitesti highway (connecting central to southern Romania) should be completed in 2016, at the moment it does not have any deadline for when the work should start and when it should end. Although ZF asked when the tender for the construction of Sibiu-Pitesti was to be held and when it should be completed, CNADNR did not provide any answer.
The Sibiu-Pitesti highway, thought to be one of the most difficult to build in this country because of the mountain range in its way, is the only section of the European Corridor IV that connects Western to Eastern Romania, which does not have any timeframe set for the start and completion of work.
The European Corridor IV in Romania starts in Nadlac and ends in Constanta, but only 425 of the 800 kilometers connecting the country’s western to eastern side are usable. Another 110 kilometers between Orastie and Sibiu and the first segment of the Lugoj-Deva section are now under construction and should be completed this year or in 2014 at the latest, according to CNADNR. Construction on other sections should start some time in the next few months or next spring at the latest.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)