Infrastructure Minister: Hundreds of millions of lei needed to fully rehabilitate some road sectors
The national roads in the Republic of Moldova reached a precarious state following this year’s winter, particularly those built during the Soviet era, according to Vladimir Bolea, the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development. On the "La 360 de grade" show on Radio Moldova, the minister explained that the deterioration is due to the fact that the lifespan of these roads has been exceeded. He also mentioned that there are no significant issues with the roads constructed in recent years.
According to Vladimir Bolea, the State Road Administration (AND) is currently conducting weekly sealing works over an area of approximately 24 square kilometers. However, the minister acknowledged that these efforts are insufficient.
"I had discussions at the ministry and with AND to create specifications for the road surfaces that need rehabilitation. The area in need is extensive, and the ten S.A. Roads teams cannot manage all the work. We urgently need to prepare these specifications and put entire sections of roads up for auction to economic agents for rehabilitation. For instance, if you look at the Chisinau-Hancesti road, you'll see several sections that are in an advanced state of deterioration where sealing can no longer be considered," said the minister.
He emphasized that complete rehabilitation of certain road sections would require investments of hundreds of millions of lei. For example, approximately 400 million lei is needed just to rebuild parts of the Chisinau-Hancesti route. However, the authorities are seeking at least 100 million lei for immediate interventions.
"Inevitably, next year, in 2027, when we come out of the winter season, these roads will be completely destroyed. Therefore, we will identify financial resources and proceed with the rehabilitation. Otherwise, multi-annual programs are essential to provide economic agents with predictability in their actions. We have ongoing discussions with all road workers' and builders' associations. This year, we will present them with such a project and program. Regarding maintenance, we are in talks with the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to develop a road maintenance program," mentioned Vladimir Bolea.
The Republic of Moldova has approximately 6,000 kilometers of national roads and over 43,000 kilometers of roads in total, many of which are in a highly degraded state. The minister also stated that they will continue to prioritize rehabilitation projects to enhance economic connections between the country’s regions and improve access to localities.
