The Romanian National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration, or CNAIR, has recently announced the winner for a contract seen as the first step in modernizing the Transfăgărășan mountain road. Authorities want to make the road safe for circulation for a larger part of the year.
The mountain highway is usually closed from late October until late June because of the snow and bad weather.
The contract is for the elaboration of documentation for the modernization of DN7C (Transfăgărășan) between km 104 and km 130.8. According to Cristian Pistol, general director of CNAIR, the company Rutier Conex XXI SRL will have RON 8.4 million (EUR 1.69 million) and 12 months to complete the contract.
"I want to apply technical solutions that allow safe circulation on the Transfăgărășan for as long as possible during the year, between Piscul Negru and Cabana Bâlea Cascadă," explained the head of CNAIR, cited by Economica.net.
The contract, funded through the Transport Program 2021-2027, can be signed after the expiration of the period set for potential objections and after their resolution.
CNAIR recently announced that the Transfăgărășan is already under winter conditions. "Do not venture on Transfăgărășan in the coming days if your car is not prepared for winter driving! The road maintenance teams in the Bâlea District have managed to clear the road and have spread several tons of anti-skid material, but conditions continue to be winter-like," stated the representatives of CNAIR.
Transfăgărășan climbs to an altitude of 2042 meters in the glacial segment of Bâlea and is the second-highest road in Romania, after Transalpina, crossing the Parâng Mountains in the Southern Carpathians and reaching 2145 meters at Urdele Pass. The road also offers spectacular mountain sights to those who cross it.
(Photo source: Roibul/Dreamstime.com)