Romania fails to open any new motorway in 2026 despite government pledges
Romania’s state-owned highway operator has failed to open a single kilometer of new motorway in 2026, despite government pledges to make this a landmark year for infrastructure. As of June 2, no ribbon-cutting ceremonies have taken place, leaving the country’s total high-speed road network stuck at 1,400 km, according to the latest reports from the Ministry of Transport’s state-owned road agency, *Compania Națională de Autostrăzi și Drumuri Naționale din România* (CNADNR) .
Officials had previously projected that 250 km of new motorway could still be delivered by the end of the year, though no specific projects have been confirmed for imminent completion. The delay follows a pattern of chronic underperformance: in 2025, Romania added only 50 km of motorway, far below the 150 km annual target set by the governing coalition.
The stagnation coincides with broader dysfunction in state-owned enterprises. Half of the companies on the government’s “blacklist” for restructuring have missed their deadlines, with no concrete measures taken in the past month to address the backlog, according to a report by the Ministry of Finance . CNADNR itself is among the entities flagged for delayed reforms, though the ministry has not disclosed specific penalties or corrective actions.
Transparency in leadership appointments has also come under fire. Interim Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu revealed that just three private firms—employing a total of 10 people—are responsible for selecting the heads of all state-owned companies, including CNADNR. The European Commission has already fined Romania €198 million for opaque procurement procedures in these appointments, calling the system “structurally flawed” .
The infrastructure deadlock persists despite Romania’s access to €29.2 billion in EU cohesion funds for 2021–2027, of which €12.5 billion is earmarked for transport projects. The European Commission has repeatedly urged Bucharest to accelerate absorption rates, warning that delays risk forfeiting unspent allocations. With the current programming period set to expire in 2027, the government has yet to announce a revised timeline for key projects, including the Sibiu–Pitești and Comarnic–Brașov motorways.
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