---
title: "Moldova opens EBRD-funded road linking northern border to Otaci"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/82880/moldova-opens-ebrd-funded-road-linking-northern-border-to-otaci
published: 2026-08-10T19:05:00Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "Social"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldova opens EBRD-funded road linking northern border to Otaci

> Residents of Moldova's northern Dondușeni and Ocnița districts now benefit from modernized transport infrastructure following the completion of the Arionești–Otaci road segment.

[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/h5k_pqnBLx0)

Residents of Moldova's northern Dondușeni and Ocnița districts now benefit from modernized transport infrastructure following the completion of the Arionești–Otaci road segment.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/7b83bc11-267f-4abd-9b75-0f1531a1b2f7.jpg)

The €9.2 million (approx. 180.3 million MDL) rehabilitation project was funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

**Major transit time reduction**

Local authorities report that travel times on key routes have decreased by nearly an hour and a half.

*"Travel times from Arionești to Soroca used to take up to two hours,"* said Alina Vezitiu, Mayor of Arionești. *"Drivers can now cover that distance in just 30 to 40 minutes."*

The newly opened nine-kilometer road facilitates movement across northern municipalities while securing faster access to regional hospitals, schools, and the Otaci border crossing into Ukraine.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/83893593-ff9f-4ee3-966f-8d9bd6e9bd91.jpg)

**Comprehensive technical overhaul**

The modernization involved a complete overhaul of the asphalt pavement, installation of modern drainage systems, upgraded side accesses, and new road safety infrastructure.

Drivers using the new route expressed immediate satisfaction with the results.

*"The road is fantastic! You can practically fly on it now,"* said one local driver. *"Before this, vehicles were constantly breaking down due to the potholes. The quality is excellent."*

A returning resident noted the broader impact: *"I came back from Belgium, and the road quality is genuinely high-level. Seeing improvements like this gives me a real reason to move back home."*

**Economic integration with southern regions**

Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea emphasized that the route serves a critical macroeconomic purpose for the nation.

*"Our strategic priority is connecting northern Moldova with the south,"* Bolea stated. *"We are linking residents and commercial operators to the rest of the country via safe, modern infrastructure. Economically, this corridor is a top priority."*

The Arionești–Otaci section forms part of a broader €44 million EBRD project to rehabilitate the full 40-kilometer Soroca–Arionești–Otaci transit corridor.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/d3d115e9-8214-4ede-b425-711f4dd684b9.jpg)