EIB Vice-President Visits Key Tunnel Construction Site for Romania’s Strategic A1 Motorway Project

EIB Vice-President Visits Key Tunnel Construction Site for Romania’s Strategic A1 Motorway Project

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank is supporting the development of Romania’s A1 motorway, with Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris visiting the Curtea de Argeș construction site to review progress on a major tunnel section through the Carpathian Mountains. The motorway, which will connect Pitești and Sibiu over a distance of more than 122 kilometres, is a critical infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between Western Europe and the Black Sea. Backed by up to €1 billion in EIB financing and additional EU and national funding, the project addresses a long-standing gap in Romania’s transport network. Once completed in 2029, it is expected to enhance road safety, reduce congestion, and support economic integration and regional development. The project also highlights the importance of coordinated investment in modern infrastructure to strengthen Europe’s transport systems and drive long-term sustainable growth.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 23-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank continues to advance one of Romania’s most significant infrastructure projects, as Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris visited the construction site near Curtea de Argeș to review progress on a key section of the planned A1 motorway. The visit focused on ongoing work on a tunnel section that forms part of the country’s first highway crossing the Carpathian Mountains, a project backed by EIB financing of up to €1 billion.

The A1 motorway will extend over 122 kilometres, linking Pitești with Sibiu and creating a vital transport corridor through the Southern Carpathians. The route passes through Curtea de Argeș, where engineers are constructing a nearly 1.4-kilometre tunnel with two lanes in each direction. This section represents a technically complex and strategically important part of the overall project, addressing one of the most challenging segments of the route.

During the site visit, Tsakiris was joined by Felix Ardelean, Director General for Transport and Infrastructure, with both officials assessing construction progress and discussing next steps with project stakeholders. The motorway, expected to be completed by 2029, is designed to improve connectivity between Western Europe and the Black Sea, strengthening both national and cross-border transport links.

Tsakiris highlighted the broader significance of the project, describing it as a critical infrastructure investment that supports long-term economic development, enhances mobility, and benefits both businesses and citizens. Ardelean emphasized the importance of the Carpathian crossing as a previously missing link in Romania’s transport network, noting that the project will not only improve current connectivity but also support future economic growth and regional resilience.

The A1 motorway is being financed through a combination of EIB loans, European Union grants, and national funding. The EIB has already committed two loan tranches of €500 million each, with agreements signed in October 2025 and January 2026. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately €5.5 billion, reflecting its scale and strategic importance.

Beyond improving transport efficiency, the motorway is expected to deliver multiple long-term benefits, including enhanced road safety, reduced congestion, and stronger economic integration across regions. It will also help address environmental concerns by streamlining traffic flows and reducing bottlenecks in local communities.

The project stands as a key example of coordinated European and national investment in infrastructure, demonstrating how large-scale funding initiatives can accelerate development, improve regional cohesion, and contribute to sustainable economic growth across the continent.

Background information   

EIB Group

The European Investment Bank (ElB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investment union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructures, the EIB Group crowds-in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium size businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilizes private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the EIF together with six member states (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund of funds to scale-up innovative startups. This initiative has already enabled the creation of 12 European venture capital mega-funds and scaled up 38 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital).

Photos of the EIB Group’s spokespeople and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

Media Contact:

Clara Wanjek-Bauer
c.wanjek-bauer@ext.eib.org
+352 4379 – 79529

Press Office

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank