Romania can be a key bridgehead, if not the most important one, for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Secretary of State Ionel Scriosteanu this week told the conference “Italy & Romania, building together sustainable infrastructure.”
“Romania’s transport infrastructure has advanced significantly over the last five years, especially in the area of road infrastructure, which I have overseen since 2019. We currently have 700 kilometres of motorways and expressways under construction. Major railway corridors are also being rehabilitated. In recent years, we have opened over 500 kilometres of motorways and expressways to traffic, some of which were built by Italian companies. We inaugurated the third-largest bridge in Europe through a partnership with an Italian firm, a true success, in my view. Just a few weeks ago, we signed off on the completion of this project, which has become a new symbol of Romania. (…) We must enhance competitiveness through our partnership, especially as the reconstruction of Ukraine, which will hopefully start soon, will be a new challenge for both Romania and Italy, as I know Italy is becoming a very important factor in Ukraine’s reconstruction process. I believe Romania can serve as a major bridgehead, if not the most important one, for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” Scriosteanu said.
He underscored that, in recent years, infrastructure has been developed as close as possible to the Ukrainian border, with new customs checkpoints opened, existing ones rehabilitated, and railway links between Romania and Ukraine improved.
The official also noted that Romania plans to focus more on developing its railway infrastructure in the near future, aiming to reduce freight traffic on the roads.
The “Blue Motorway” project that envisages the use of the Danube River as a waterway for shipping and the increase in trade and connectivity with central Europe is another development direction, Scriosteanu said.
“We have a project to regularise a navigable waterway along the Danube, to make it predictable for freight transport 365 days a year. Once completed, transport will be much easier between the Port of Constanta via the Danube–Black Sea Canal and onwards along this ‘blue motorway’, which offers a more sustainable, eco-friendly and even more competitive alternative to rail transport,” the Transport official added.
