Man, what do you know! I was chilling at Fane's terrace, sipping a beer and bitching about how crap our roads are, when that little guy with the Audi, Relu, pipes up: "Dude, in Bolojan's time they signed something with Moldova, to build a highway all the way to Chișinău!" I crossed myself, bro! I'm like, let me check this out, maybe he's dreaming. And what do you know? Dead serious! Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan put pen to paper on Thursday and signed not one, but two memorable sheets between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. That means Section 4 of the A8, the Iași-Ungheni stretch, which is the first kilometers of highway beyond the Prut. In Bolojan's words: "This is a very important moment for transport connectivity on both banks of the Prut." What can I say, this guy actually does stuff, not just empty talk.
Now, listen to the numbers, 'cause I'm no expert, but I remember the investment is 3.57 billion lei, money from the SAFE program, i.e., European funds. So those guys in Brussels give us money to build highways, not like here where they steal everything. Man, crazy! And the contract is for 46 months, of which 10 for design and 36 for execution. So by 2030, if they don't screw up, people will drive from Bucharest to Ungheni on a highway. Who would've thought, bro? A few years ago, when I saw our potholes, I thought we'd never make it.
Our Transport Minister, Radu Miruță, and the Moldovan one, Vladimir Bolea, signed the agreement for building the road bridge over the Prut, between the towns of Ungheni and Ungheni - yeah, yeah, that's exactly what they're called on both sides. Bolea said he thanks Romania and that "Romania and the Republic of Moldova are developing a relationship based on respect and national interest." Yeah, that's what I say when I need money, but hey, this time it seems serious. This agreement replaces one from 2022, 'cause new needs came up - probably they saw they need more bridges and tunnels.
And now the best part: Section 4 has 15.5 kilometers of highway, but on top of that, they're building the first 5 kilometers on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, towards Chișinău. Come on, that's history! Besides that, along the route they're building 14 bridges and overpasses, 2 tunnels - one of 1760 meters at km 83, a serious tunnel, no joke - and 2 road junctions. One junction connects to the regional hospital and Iași airport, the other is at Golăiești. So drivers going to the airport or hospital won't have to slalom through potholes anymore. That's how it's done, bro! Not like here in Berceni, where they haven't even laid a single slab properly.
The A8 highway, in total, has four sections, 89 kilometers, and is part of a strategic corridor linking Ukraine to Romania and the Republic of Moldova. So from Tărășeni in Ukraine, you go through Siret, Moțca, Ungheni, and reach Berești in Moldova. It's like a highway of unification, better said. And Minister Bolea said it's "one of the most important connectivity projects between the Republic of Moldova and Romania in the last 60 years." Wow, 60 years! Nothing like this since Ceaușescu's time. Maybe now our brothers across the Prut will connect even more to the EU, border wait times will drop, we'll trade, investments will come to Ungheni. What more can I say, if it gets done, it's a huge step.
Now, I'm skeptical, 'cause big projects here usually get delayed. But hey, if Bolojan signed, maybe things are actually moving. For now, I'm off to tell Mioara that maybe one day we'll drive to Chișinău on a highway. And maybe, just maybe, we bombardiery will get to brag about good roads, not just tuned-up BMWs.
