Romanian Govt approves expropriations and compensations for Cluj subway

The Romanian Government recently greenlit the list of expropriations for the Cluj-Napoca subway, committing EUR 57 million in total in compensations.

An executive resolution initiated the process of expropriation for all privately owned properties required for the building of the Cluj subway, deemed a national interest public utility work. Compensations totaling RON 283 million, equivalent to almost EUR 57 million, have been approved for the expropriations necessary for the construction of the metro line. The amount resulted from the evaluation report prepared by the authorized evaluator, ANEVAR certified member, Chelaru Ștefan Dragoș. 

A total of 486 properties are targeted, with a total area of 418,188 square meters, buildings with a cumulative area of 58,402 square meters, fences of 5,209.28 meters, and 22.68 cubic meters of timber in the Cluj-Napoca municipality and Florești locality, according to data cited by Profit.ro.

Aside from private individuals, many companies also own a number of the properties set to be expropriated. For example, Ursus Breweries and Kaufland supermarkets own land in the area. The first will have over 6,000 square meters of land expropriated and will receive RON 2 million in return (EUR 400,000).

Romanian companies will also be expropriated, such as the VRG Automobile auto dismantling company in Florești commune. In the same commune, a plot of over 4,600 square meters belonging to the Luna de Sus Reformed Parish will also be expropriated. The parish will receive over RON 100,000 from the state in compensation. 

Significant land areas will also be taken from two higher education institutions, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, and the Iuliu Hațegan University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

On May 25, 2023, the contract for the construction of the Cluj-Napoca subway, worth RON 9 billion (over EUR 2 billion), was signed with the association Gulermak Agir Sanayi Insaat Ve Taahhut A.S  – Alstom Transport S.A. – Arcada Company S.A. The contract for the 21 km metro line with 19 stations has a duration of 96 months and includes EUR 300 million of funding through the PNRR. The Ministry of Transport provides funding from the state budget. European funds and funds from the Cluj-Napoca City Hall will also be added to pay for the project.

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(Photo source: Emil Boc on Facebook)