Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan attended the signing of two bilateral documents between Romania and the Republic of Moldova on Thursday for the construction of Section 4 of the A8 Motorway—which connects the two countries—an investment funded through the SAFE Program.

'This is a very important moment for transport connectivity on both banks of the Prut River. By signing the two bilateral documents, we are giving the green light to the project linking Romania and the Republic of Moldova, funded through the SAFE Program. I thank everyone involved, from both the Romanian authorities and the institutions of the Republic of Moldova,' stated Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, according to a press release issued by the Government's Press Office.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea, thanked the Government of Romania for its support and partnership.

'Romania and the Republic of Moldova are developing a relationship based on respect and national interest. Through this investment, among other things, the governments of the two countries demonstrate their capacity to develop large-scale projects for the benefit of their citizens,' stated Vladimir Bolea.

The event was also attended by the interim Minister of Transport, Deputy Prime Minister Radu Miruta; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu; and the State Secretaries from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ionel Scriosteanu and Horatiu Cosma.

'The A8 motorway is a strategic project. Once completed in 2030, it will be possible to drive from Bucharest to Ungheni entirely on the motorway—something that seemed unlikely just a few years ago,' noted Radu Miruta.

Radu Miruta and Vladimir Bolea signed the agreement regarding aspects of the construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of transport infrastructure of strategic interest to both states, including the cross-border road bridge over the Prut River between the localities of Ungheni (Romania) and Ungheni (Republic of Moldova).

The investments, funded through the SAFE Instrument, are part of the Taraseni (UA) - Siret (RO) - Motca (RO) - Ungheni (RO) - Beresti (MD) strategic corridor, considered a priority connectivity axis between the European Union and its Eastern partners.

'The agreement establishes the bilateral legal framework necessary for the coordinated implementation of these investments, setting out the parties' responsibilities regarding the financing, execution, operation, maintenance, and administration of transport infrastructure of strategic importance. Furthermore, the document provides for the establishment of a Joint Commission to coordinate project implementation and updates the existing legal framework concerning the Ungheni-Ungheni road bridge,' the Government stated.

Additionally, representatives of Romania's National Road Investment Company and the Republic of Moldova's National Road Administration signed the contract for Section 4 of the A8 Târgu Neamt- Iasi - Ungheni Motorway. This concerns the stretch between Ia?i and the border crossing with the Republic of Moldova (the bridge over the Prut River at Ungheni), which will mark the first time a motorway extends across the Prut River.

The contract covers the construction of the final 15.5 kilometers of the A8 Târgu Mures-Iasi-Ungheni Motorway, specifically the first 5 kilometers of the motorway towards Chisinau. The project is valued at 3.57 billion lei, with funding provided through the SAFE Program.

The contract implementation period is 46 months—comprising 10 months for the design phase and 36 months for construction—with priority given to the 2.77 km motorway segment between the Golaiesti interchange and the Prut River Bridge at Ungheni, where work is well underway.

Along the 15.5-kilometer route of Section 4, the following will be constructed: 14 bridges and overpasses, 2 tunnels (the tunnel at km 83 being 1,760 meters long), and 2 interchanges (a planned interchange connecting to the Regional Hospital and Iasi Airport, and the Golaiesti interchange).

The A8 motorway comprises four sections with a total length of 89 kilometers and represents one of the most important connectivity projects between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the statement further notes. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Irinela Visan, editing by: Florin Marin; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)