“Another 31.7 km of the Craiova-Pitesti highway will be put into operation this year,” says the state secretary of transport. However, although the physical stage of work on section 3 has reached 70%, it is still not clear whether the entire section will be open to traffic, or whether half of it will be impassable due to the lack of traffic relief on one of the heads.

“I visited the construction site Tronsonului 3 of the Craiova-Pitesti expressway, the physical stage of which has reached 70%”– says State Secretary for Transport Ionel Skriostianu, who also provides details on what works are currently being carried out:

– Construction works of 31/32 structures (bridges and roads) were completed;

– Works are being carried out to connect the buildings with the embankment and roadway;

– Embankment filling works have been completed, 85% of the work has been completed;

– Earthworks for embankments are being carried out, the work is 90% completed and continues on the last section from km 58;

– Continue construction works of pits, gutters and collection and drainage elements;

– 20/30 km of ballast filling was completed on the upper tier;

– At the stage of completion of office premises, 95% of the work has been completed, the final touches are being made;

– Works on the transfer of communications have been completed;

– Works on the ITS system and public lighting on the expressway route are being carried out.

Section 3 DEx12 Craiova – Pitesti completed in 2023, but exactly how much will be open to traffic?

“The 31.7 km associated with lot 3 of the Craiova-Pitesti expressway, between Slatina and Koloneštia, is one of the road infrastructure facilities that will be opened to traffic at the end of this year, before the contract deadline.“, – says Skrioshtianu.

However, the end of section 3 from Koloneşti does not have a road junction at the junction with DN65, and the opening of traffic can only be carried out with temporary relief, which has not yet been officially confirmed and does not appear to be forming or from field images.

The only interchange on section 3 under construction is the interchange at Negreni. Thus, in a pessimistic scenario, at the end of 2023, traffic can only be opened from Valea Mare (Eastern Slatina) to Negreni (about 16 km), and the remaining approximately 15 km to Kolonesti will remain impassable until Section 4 is ready for inauguration.

VIDEO – Drone footage of Section 3 DEx12 from Valea Mare to Negreni.

Expressway Craiova – Pitesti, section 3 – Slatina (Valea Mare) – Kolonesti

Length: 31.75 km

description: 2x(2×3.5) m / Approaches 2×1.5 m / Middle lane 3.00 m

Builder: SA&PE Construct – Spedition UMB – Technotrade

Value: 670 million lei (auction estimate: 999 million lei)

Stadium (March 2023): 70%

Probable completion: end of 2023 / beginning of 2024

DEx 12 Craiova – Pitesti – 121 kilometers, with four sections staggered between them

In total, the expressway DEx12 Craiova – Pitesti will be 121 kilometers long, divided into four sections. Now only a third can be used, the rest are in various stages of completion.

In the summer of 2022, the first 40 km of the expressway in Romania, connected with the 2nd section of the Craiova-Pitesti expressway, was put into operation.

The site was built by an association led by the Romanian builder UMB, the same one currently also working on section 3 as well as section 4 up to the junction with the A1 near Pitesti (lot 4 has a completion date of 2024).

On 1 site (17.7 km) contract for 358 million lei with Italians from Tirrena Scavi was stopped in December 2022 at about 59% stage due to poor mobilization at the construction site. For this section, CNAIR has just announced a tender for the completion of the section (The estimated cost is 544 million leiexecution period 18 months).

—

Technical characteristics of Express Road DX12:

Length: 121 km

Design speed: 120 km/h

Platform: 22.00 meters

Roadway: 4×3.5 meters

Middle space: 3.00 meters

Furniture: 2 x 1.5 meters

Ribbon framing: 4 x 0.5 meters

—

SEE ALSO:

• VIDEO The first kilometers of the expressway in Ardeal: what the road looks like now, which could be ready this year, and why the work was partially blocked
• VIDEO Bridge over the Danube from Braila: the first layer of asphalt was poured / How it looks now and when it can be officially opened
• The missing link of the Transylvanian highway: will we have a surprise that it will be ready in 2023? “Very difficult, but not impossible” / How it looks now – VIDEO
• “Grindiana ignored by Autostrada Unirii A8”, accuses former secretary of state, who compiles a list of delays in the entire project: “The advance is shameful”