Romanian Transport Master Plan

The Romanian Government has adopted the final draft of the Transport Master Plan.

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Roxana Vasile, 26.02.2015, 13:45

The Transport Master Plan is, on the one hand, key to streamlining Romania’s transport infrastructure. Also, line Minister Ioan Rus believes this would allow the numerous Romanians working abroad and seeking better revenues to return home. Construction works themselves might help attract Romanians to better paid jobs, after the model of Portugal, where 15 years ago large numbers of Portuguese nationals chose to relocate back home seeking employment in the national infrastructure. The Government in Bucharest on Wednesday adopted the Transport Master Plan in its final draft, which is seen as a strategic document for Romania. It provides for a total of 45 billion euros to be invested in road, rail, maritime and air transportation projects, but also in the building of multimode corridors, which combine different means of transport. Minister Rus gave more details on exactly how this money is going to be spent:

“As regards road transport projects, this is how the money will be spent: 13.7 billion euros on 1,300 kilometers of motorway, 9.9 billion euros on 1,825 kilometers of express road, 1.6 billion on 2,870 kilometers of Transregio roads, and another 190 million euros will be invested in the building of 343 kilometers of TransEuro road segments”.

In addition, the Master Plan provides for repair works and the electrification of rail tracks or even the building of high-speed rail sections. In the maritime sector, the authorities want to build new waterways and modernize certain ports. Authorities estimate the overall investment to stand at 4 billion euros. The air transport sector will also receive some 1.3 billion euros to be spent on different projects. Often criticized for their lack of initiative, action and interest, authorities claim the Plan ensures a step forward for the transport sector by bringing in more cash in infrastructure.

Priority will be given to those projects that comply with the EU criteria of economic performance, connectivity and investment. Romanian Parliament’s transport committees will first discuss the Plan’s financial strategy, before submitting it to the European Commission, which is due to discuss the Plan between March 9 and 13. If Brussels green-lights the Plan, Bucharest will be able to take further steps towards absorbing structural funds under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme.