Specialists from fourteen countries are working on the realization of Romania's first motorway tunnel. Digi24 visited the construction site and filmed spectacular works near Curtea de Argeș. The builders have already drilled 70% of the tunnels' length and expect to break through the hill they are working under by early next year. Upon completion, the tunnel will be 1.3 kilometers long. More complex work is expected in the future construction of Romania's motorways. On the Sibiu-Pitești motorway alone, seven more tunnels will be built, with the largest at Poiana. An Austrian construction company is diligently digging along the two galleries near Curtea de Argeș, which will be Romania's first motorway tunnels.
Work on the gallery called Daniela started sometime last autumn. Cristina Sbîrn, Digi24 journalist: Currently, approximately 950 meters have been dug. About 400 meters remain to break through the hill. According to the builder, this will happen sometime early next year, in spring. In the other gallery, called Alina, 830 meters have been dug. Each gallery will exceed 1.3 kilometers in length, with two traffic lanes and an emergency lane. As the soil of Momaia Hill is soft, the contractors use modern technology that supports the ground with quickly drying sprayed concrete as the excavation progresses. Marco Wieser, a representative of the construction company: "Blasting is not possible because the geology of the soil is too soft. The hill must be supported with an 'umbrella,' and then you can dig beneath it." Work is ongoing for seven days on site. Specialists from fourteen countries have been brought in for the construction of the tunnel. In addition to the tunnel, the Austrians are building more than 2.5 kilometers of bridges and overpasses, one of which is 30 meters high, equivalent to a 10-story building. The 10-kilometer section between Curtea de Argeș and Tigveni, as part of the Sibiu-Pitești motorway, must be completed by February 2027. Officials are confident that they will be able to finish ahead of schedule.
Fernando Lopez, project manager: "We have exceeded the 50% mark. We are doing well. Everyone asks: will we finish early? I am optimistic." 650 workers are on the motorway, including many local residents who are pleased that the long-promised Sibiu-Pitești motorway, promised for 30 years, is finally coming to fruition. "We did the feasibility study for the motorway four times with my cousin... he sadly passed away... he said: I'll die and won't be able to drive on it." The complete Sibiu-Pitești motorway will be 122 kilometers long. The 13 kilometers between Sibiu and Boița have been passable since the end of 2022. Another 30 kilometers between Curtea de Argeș and Pitești are under construction and expected to be completed by next year. An additional 69 kilometers are currently being planned. The entire motorway is set to be completed by 2028 and will have eight tunnels.
