The initial section of the A7 motorway "Autostrada Moldovei" is expected to open to traffic within a few days. Following the intensive construction activity of the last month, construction professionals were surprised by the rapid progress. On the other hand, the next phase, where a consortium of Romanian-Bulgarian entrepreneurs worked intensively at the end of the year, will not be opened for the time being. The reason for this is that its opening would require the complete closure of three county roads. Lot 1 of the A7 between Ploiești and Buzău, which stretches for 21 kilometers between Dumbrava (A3) and Mizil, is expected to open on Friday, December 20, according to sources directly close to the project. In contrast, Lot 2, which includes 28 kilometers between Mizil and Buzău, will not be opened yet, despite the efforts of the builders in the last weeks and the promises of the authorities that it could have been ready by the end of the year.
However, the opening would require the closure of three county roads, including the main road leading to Mizil. According to another source working in the Lot 2 construction area, the current works are all aimed at opening traffic by the end of the year. The highway company has not yet made an official announcement. According to CNAIR spokesperson Alin Șerbănescu, a decision is expected only on Thursday. According to HotNews.ro, the first section, built by the Italian-Romanian Impresa Pizzarotti - Retter Projectmanagement consortium, will be temporarily opened to Mizil.
The solution requires a makeshift roundabout and temporary slip road at the intersection of DJ100C. According to Ionuț Ciurea, a representative of the Pro Infrastructure Association, this is not an optimal solution, but given the circumstances, it is the right decision to open the highway, even if only as a temporary solution, so that the completed section can be used by road users. The handing over of the first stage came as a surprise to the experts, mainly due to the efficient organization of the Retter company. They have been doing excellent work over the last month, especially on bridge works such as Cricov and the CF804 and DJ101F bridges and the A3 junction. Although the opening of Lot 1 does not mean the end of the processes, as there are still works to be completed, such as the completion of the crossings outside the highway. The Albești-Paleologu intermediate junction will not be opened now either, it is expected to be completely completed in the next two to three months. As for postponing the opening of Lot 2, the representatives of civil organizations believe that this is the right decision until the junctions of the county roads are completed. It is only worth opening the highway if residents are not restricted in using their roads due to construction.
The representative of Pro Infrastructura acknowledges the efforts of the Romanian-Bulgarian CONI-Trace consortium, which have been demonstrated in recent weeks, but according to him, postponing the opening of the traffic was a reasonable decision, so as not to cause inconvenience to the locals, road users, or workers. Lot 2 is expected to be open within two to three months, but it is feared that it could be available as early as April before the section is fully completed. Before opening to traffic, construction roads are not an ideal solution from a safety point of view. The A7 motorway, the "backbone of Moldova", will cross a total of 440 kilometers from Ploiești to Siret, crossing the region from North to South, reducing traffic, among other things, from one of the most congested and dangerous roads, the DN2 (E85). Already in 2020, 16 kilometers of the highway were completed to avoid Bacău.