Highways: commitments for 2006 a?" 2007

The authorities have announced that over 6.6 billion euros will be allocated for highways and roads up until 2008. Romania currently has 214 kilometres of highway. Not one kilometre of highway was built in 2005. This year will see 1.2 billion euros invested in such projects, with 2.7 billion euros per year to be spent in the next two years, with a possible increase to be seen in 2008. Some of this money will be used for the Brasov – Bucharest highway, with the 170 kilometres to be completed in 2008. The cost of the highway is estimated at some 1.5 billion euros and will be fully financed from governmental funds, according to Gheorghe Dobre, minister of transport. “To make faster progress with the construction works on the Brasov – Bucharest highway, we will reduce the two separate time frames concerning the designing and the actual construction works, into one, which will also apply to the tender,” explained Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who took part in a meeting of the working group on infrastructure projects with the Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism (MTCT) on Wednesday. ZF