Almost 4 years after its grand opening, the Ciurel crossing, which cost 240 million lei, remains a simple left turn. Mayor General Nikushor Dan has repeatedly stated that he will not proceed with this project with a new road between Ciurel and the A1, so a bridge makes sense. However, the municipality has not made any official decision to abandon the project, and because of this, those who own properties in the corridor of expropriation for the road cannot do anything about them. Moreover, the mayor of Sector 6, Ciprian Chuku, claims that he is losing money from PNDL received for asphalting the dirt streets in the area because he cannot issue building permits while the project remains officially in force.

The passage from Ciurel was inaugurated in September 2020, with pomp, by Mayor Gabriela Firea. The work cost 240 million lei and was completed in 10 years, although it was supposed to be completed in 4.

Currently, the bridge leads nowhere, it is only a left turn, made at huge expense.

The drive is part of the Ciurel-A1 transition, one of the infrastructure projects discussed since 2000, the alternative bd. Iuliu Maniu to exit the city, in the direction of A1.

What does the place where the piercing was supposed to look like?

In 2019, the General Council approved the expropriation corridor and the start of the expropriation procedure for phase II of the project between Ciurel and bd. Overtures, which will expropriate more than 100 objects with a total area of ​​almost 4 hectares, and about 700 square meters of buildings, worth 47 million lei. The money was supposed to be credited to the owners’ account within 210 days after the expropriation.

In 2020, the deadline was extended. Likewise in 2021, by the end of the same year.

So far, the lands have not been alienated, but the decision has not been canceled either.

Mayor General Nikušor Dan has stated several times that he will not proceed with the project, as those coming from the A1 heading towards the sea will be tempted to drive through the center of Bucharest, which is so congested. “The project of breakthrough to the Belt cannot be implemented. Driving a 6-lane road past a drinking water body is prohibited. I believe that this project should not be rushed. We need to hurry with the expansion of the Ring Road to 4 lanes. The moment you get it, and you have access to the waist from the districts, you will take the pressure off Iuliu Maniu,” said Mayor Nikushor Dan in an interview with HotNews.ro right after the 2020 local elections.

The mayor adhered to his view in 2021 as well.

“The project originates from Nicolae Ceausescu, who called it the A1-A2 breakthrough, he had in his head that the Ciurel penetration would facilitate the crossing of Bucharest from Pitesti to Constanta, which is a mistake, he passed 20 meters from the lake from which we drink water , which for scientific reasons cannot be reached, and you cannot drink water from a lake where cars drive. We have a project with 10 radial roads, which means exits to the road and the ring road, they will be on Timisoara Boulevard and one on Julesti. Drivers won’t have to go to Ciurel, but they will have these descents,” said Nikushor Dan in October 2021 on Europa FM.

We remind you that in 2016 the court finally canceled the zonal urban planning plan related to the project, one of the reasons being that it passes too close to the Rosu water station. The lawsuit was filed by residents of the district who suffered from alienation. The breakthrough was also provided for in the 2013 and 2020 Sector 6 Coordination Plans. The one from 2020 was canceled by the court because it concreted several green spaces. The one from 2013 was canceled in the first instance, now the appeal is being considered. The document is not suspended, it is still valid and based on it, the City Hall of Sector 6 issues building permits.

However, what happens to the project?

In a response sent to HotNews.ro’s request, the city hall said that it is not abandoning the project.

“As of this date, decisions are being sought regarding the continuation of work on the project: Penetration Splaiul Independentei – Ciurel – Autostrada București – Pitești. Note that due to the lack of budget funds, it was not possible to continue the work.

At the moment, the contract for the design and execution of works is valid, and the alienation procedure has not been initiated. In a situation where changes will be made to the expropriation corridor Council Decision no. 292/2019 will be amended according to the new expropriation corridor. On this day, PUZ sector 6 is suspended,” said the municipality’s response to HotNews.ro’s request.

I also contacted Mayor General Nikusor Dan to get his perspective, but to no avail.

Chuku says he is losing 5 million lei on street paving

Sector 6 Mayor Ciprian Chuku says that with the project running, he risks losing more than 5 million lei received from PNDL to pave several dirt streets in the area as they intersect with the expropriation corridor.

“The District 6 Mission has submitted documentation under Angel Saligny’s program that the streets in this area that do not have asphalt, water, sewage, gas, any communications, do not have sidewalks, although there are houses there, let us pave them and conduct utilities. But the City Hall of Sector 6 cannot issue a permit for this much-needed work, because we are prohibited from building because of this project. These streets intersect with the exclusion corridor. You cannot issue a construction permit in parts and you cannot have a technical project in parts, we simply do not pull the sewage network in parts. It is a network, it cannot be stopped,” Chuku explained.

Chuku says he received more than 5.7 million lei from Angel Saligna for asphalting 5 streets, but they will probably be lost because of it. It is about 4 streets: Văratec Monastery Road, Sihăstria Monastery Road, Govora Monastery Road, Drenajulii Street.

“There are two options that I have put before the Mayor General, that is where he says sir, we are no longer going ahead with the project and suspends or cancels the relevant CGMB decisions, lifts the construction ban and officially abandons the project. Another option is to allocate a budget for expropriation and conclude a project budget,” said Chuku.

The uncertainty also affects those who live in the area.

“People there have been in limbo for a very long time, in the sense that they can’t sell their property, they can’t build anything, they’re basically stuck. One said to me, sir, I want to sell, but no one is buying because there is a building ban. Another said he wanted to extend his house but couldn’t. The territory is currently simply frozen,” the mayor also noted.

What people in the area say

It depends on who you ask.

Sabin Kiričescu is one of the citizens from the Ciurel district who attacked the project in court 10 years ago. In his opinion, the capital’s mayor’s office should cancel all decisions of the General Council regarding the project, and then conduct a traffic and feasibility study to determine whether and in what form this project continues.

“The project should continue, but in a reasonable way, taking into account the current conditions of the city’s development. And consider what a modern city means where you don’t encourage traffic through the city center. The project, as a basic justification, is connected between A1 and A2. The situation is ambiguous, because no one dares to say, sir, what we are doing with this project. His legal justification is no longer valid, there is a JICA study that did not suggest this, he said it is not beneficial in the long run, and there is currently no study that explains how to do this, a traffic study. During the time of Oprescu, they wanted to create a boulevard with a width of ten lanes. I know of only one of this size in Bucharest – Kiseleva Street, between the Arc de Triomphe and the Press House. Which is not justified. Where are you taking this traffic?”, Kiričescu explained.

Part of his property is in the expropriation corridor.

“I am on the corridor of expropriation. The passageway is blocked. Due to the fact that we ransacked, in the expropriation decision, the pieces of those who scandalized are valued about 20% less than the neighboring pieces. The expropriation corridor should be canceled at this point, it is no longer justified. It is necessary to cancel all decisions regarding the road and the economic survey, redo the survey of traffic and opportunities,” he explained.

Victor Rausse is another citizen who lives in the area.

“Why was this project blocked and the city hall lost the court? The silver bullet was the environmental problem. This 6-lane boulevard touches the Rosu water station. As such, this project cannot be developed from several points of view, because it does not comply with environmental regulations that are becoming more and more strict, it does not solve the problem with Kyazha, there is no traffic study. Chiajna has developed like a favela in Brazil, and they have nowhere to go. It would be logical for the City Hall to cancel the documents following the project. But why bother? If I were them (the people who can’t build or sell the property) I would go ahead with my construction, sue them and build their house with a court order. There is a court decision on the cancellation of the PAZ for the road,” explained Victor Rausse.

Quarters were also built on the field, in that area, on the route of this road, although it is not there. Those who live there would like a road, but it is not clear in what form.

“Of course we’re waiting for the road, now we go out to Unverturii and it’s crowded,” said one of the residents.

“They will do it for the horse Easter. Sure, that would be nice, but who would? We are in Bucharest in the bulletin, but you don’t see how it looks,” said another resident.

About the Tsiurel passage

The Zurel passage is part of the intersection of Zurel – Virtuții road junction. The total cost of the project is 128 million euros.

The city hall started work on the expressway to the Bucharest-Pitesti highway in 2010, and according to documents presented at the time, the 8.3 km long artery would connect Splaiul Independencei with the A1 highway. The JV Bogl – Astaldi – Euroconstruct – Tehnologica si Proiect Bucharest consortium won the tender for the works, the estimated completion date is 35 months from the start of the works, correspondingly 2014.