The Romanian government plans to pour billions of euros into efforts to expand and modernize the country's roads and rails in 2011, one of the few sectors to get a major boost in the new budget. With less than 350 km of motorways and poor rail connections, Romania is kilometers away from the state-of-art infrastructure seen in other parts of Europe. Years of neglect, lack of funds and bad management has deprived the Balkan country of the economic growth associated with faster and easier cross-country transit. But now, with help from the European Union, the government in Romania hopes to improve the situation, even while other sectors suffer deep cuts as part of the severe austerity measures imposed as the country attempts to recover from the effects of the global financial crisis. Transport Minister Anca Boagiu said on Saturday that the state will spend €5.57 billion next year for the construction of 289 kilometres of motorway and upgrades to 166 kilometres of train tracks.
“Around 72 per cent of the Ministry’s budget, or approximately Lei 8.3 billion (€4.1 billion), will be allotted for infrastructure projects. Furthermore, €5.5 billion will come from the EU’s Transport Operational programme,” Boagiu said. The government also plans to upgrade 943 kilometres of national roads using €848.45 million from a loan granted by the European Investment Bank. Romania currently has 314 kilometres of motorways and 243 kilometres under construction. Further funding is also expected for the country's railways. Romania used to have one of the most extensive rail networks in Europe, but after years of neglect many of its 11,000 kilometres of track are in a "catastrophic state," experts say. Some of the rails are currently being modernised with funds from the EU, such as the line between Bucharest and Constanta, on the Black Sea coast. Today it takes about five hours to make the 225-kilometer journey, even more than during the Communist period. Travel time should be cut to two hours and a half by mid-2011, when the work is scheduled to be completed.
“Around 72 per cent of the Ministry’s budget, or approximately Lei 8.3 billion (€4.1 billion), will be allotted for infrastructure projects. Furthermore, €5.5 billion will come from the EU’s Transport Operational programme,” Boagiu said. The government also plans to upgrade 943 kilometres of national roads using €848.45 million from a loan granted by the European Investment Bank. Romania currently has 314 kilometres of motorways and 243 kilometres under construction. Further funding is also expected for the country's railways. Romania used to have one of the most extensive rail networks in Europe, but after years of neglect many of its 11,000 kilometres of track are in a "catastrophic state," experts say. Some of the rails are currently being modernised with funds from the EU, such as the line between Bucharest and Constanta, on the Black Sea coast. Today it takes about five hours to make the 225-kilometer journey, even more than during the Communist period. Travel time should be cut to two hours and a half by mid-2011, when the work is scheduled to be completed.
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