On May 24th, construction officially began on the first phase of the Cluj Metropolitan Beltway, marking a significant milestone in the region’s infrastructure development. Mayor Emil Boc was present at the commencement, highlighting the project’s importance in reducing traffic congestion and improving connectivity.

Mayor Boc stated, “Major projects in Cluj are entering the implementation phase. Today we open the works on the first segment of the Cluj-Florești metropolitan beltway. These works will be followed by the Cluj metro project. We are also preparing the metropolitan train, and significant projects such as the electrification of the Cluj-Oradea railway and the Tăietura Turcului overpass are underway. Additionally, Cluj will be connected to the Transylvania Motorway via Tureni, a project scheduled for completion early next year.”

The beltway will expand the current four-lane road between Cluj-Napoca and Florești to six lanes, incorporating a dedicated lane for public transport, which currently operates 275 daily routes. The project will also improve access to the Regional Emergency Hospital through a new overpass.

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Bogdan Pivariu, the mayor of Florești, emphasised the project’s significance: “Today we witness the start of a crucial project, the metropolitan beltway, which is essential for the development of our region.”

Project Phases and Funding

The initial phase will ensure direct connectivity with the Cluj Regional Emergency Hospital, covering a 23 km segment and 19.16 km of connecting roads. This phase will also link to the Monobloc Pediatric Hospital and the eastern bypass (DN1N) through the Apahida junction, which includes a bridge over the Someș Canal to facilitate the extension of Cluj International Airport’s runway.

The government approved a record compensation of one billion lei (200 million euros) for necessary expropriations in December of last year.

The second phase will extend from the Gilău Motorway to Florești and from Apahida to Coastei. The total beltway length will be 42 kilometers, with 32 kilometers of connecting roads, 20 road junctions, 156 structures, five tunnels, and 35 kilometers of bike lanes. This extensive infrastructure will span multiple areas, including Cluj-Napoca, Florești, Gilău, Baciu, and Apahida.

In April, local councillors approved an update to the project’s technical and economic indicators, increasing the cost by 133 million euros due to inflation, bringing the total to 1.74 billion euros.