Investigates contrasting mountain highway construction approaches in Romania and Bulgaria, detailing project statuses and costs.
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Mountain expressways are common in Western Europe, but they are scarce or entirely absent in many eastern European areas. Romania and Bulgaria both have similar mountain motorway projects, but with different approaches. Romania is developing its first true mountain motorway, the A1 Sibiu-Pitești, which has been discussed since the 1990s; while some sections are complete, the most challenging parts are still under construction, with one tunnel section expected to finish in 2026 and another major section slated for completion by the end of 2028. In Bulgaria, a similar project involves the Struma motorway through Kresna Gorge, which has been planned since before 2004 but only recently began development. The Bulgarian approach differs from Romania’s as it initially planned for a single carriageway and is now considering a half-profile system to handle traffic in both directions. Costs are projected to rise significantly due to inflation, potentially doubling the per-kilometer price. While construction on the first route is underway with contracts awarded to various consortia, plans for a second motorway through Kresna remain highly uncertain.
