The Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa Motorway as a Spatial-Infrastructural Factor of Cross-Border Regional Development and the “Greater Odesa” Agglomeration

INSTITUTE OF DANUBE RESEARCH
Analytical Paper, 2025, November

Introduction

In the context of the ongoing transformation of Central and Eastern Europe’s transport systems, the formation of cross-border infrastructure corridors has become a crucial driver of regional development, integration, and economic resilience.
One of the most illustrative initiatives in this regard is the Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway project, which holds the potential to become a new Euro-integration axis linking the European Union, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the geo-economic and spatial significance of the Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway, to assess its role in shaping the transport and communication system of the Danube–Black Sea macro-region, and to evaluate its impact on the development prospects of the “Greater Odesa” agglomeration within the framework of sustainable spatial development policies.

1. Geo-economic Background and Context

The Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway belongs to a group of strategic integration initiatives aimed at strengthening the connectivity between the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries.
The planned motorway, more than 320 km in length, serves as an extension of Romania’s A8 Târgu Mureș–Iași–Ungheni highway, known as Autostrada Unirii. Approximately 40% of the Romanian section has already been implemented, and the completion of the Târgu Neamț–Ungheni segment is projected by 2030, with financial support from the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program.

Upon completion, the Moldovan section will be connected to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), providing a direct route toward Ukraine’s Odesa–Pivdennyi–Reni corridor.
The total cost of the project is estimated at €1.2 billion, with the initial stage funded by the European Union, covering the construction of the Prut River bridge near the villages of Goleești (Romania) and Zăgărancea (Moldova).

Thus, the project functions not only as a transport infrastructure development but also as a geo-economic instrument of regional integration, linking three neighbouring states into a single economic space.

2. Spatial Integration and Relevance for the Danube–Black Sea Macro-Region

The Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway operates as a cross-border integration corridor within the broader Danube–Black Sea macro-region, forming a strategic spatial axis along “Carpathians – Prut – Black Sea.”
Its implementation ensures several key functions:

1. Transport and Communication Integration.
   The project will create a continuous road connection between the EU and the port agglomerations of the Black Sea, providing an alternative to traditional transit routes through Lviv or Chernivtsi.
2. Economic and Logistical Interaction.
   In combination with the ports of Izmail, Reni, Giurgiulești, and Odesa, the motorway will form part of a unified multimodal logistics system connecting road, rail, river, and sea transport.
3. Synergy with EU Policies.
   The corridor aligns with the objectives of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the EU Black Sea Strategy, both of which emphasize cross-border mobility, sustainable transport, and the development of intermodal nodes.
4. Socio-cultural and Tourism Dimension.
   The potential development of a “Three Capitals Route” — Iași, Chișinău, Odesa — could foster people-to-people exchange and strengthen cultural and economic ties across borders.

3. Potential and Challenges for the “Greater Odesa” Agglomeration

The “Greater Odesa” agglomeration, encompassing the cities of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhne, Biliaivka and surrounding communities, holds strategic importance as a maritime, industrial, and logistical hub of the northwestern Black Sea region.
The Iași–Odesa motorway project presents both opportunities and challenges for its spatial and economic transformation.

3.1. Logistical Potential

By linking Odesa directly to the European high-speed motorway network, the region could emerge as a transport and logistics hub of Southeastern Europe, serving as a vital transit point for goods moving between the EU, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
This will diversify the regional economy and encourage the development of industrial parks and international cooperation zones across the agglomeration.

3.2. Urban Effects

Enhanced infrastructure accessibility will stimulate suburbanization and conurbation processes, deepening functional linkages between Odesa and its suburban communities.
At the same time, this will require an update of transport-spatial planning systems, the introduction of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP), and the implementation of digital mobility management tools.

3.3. Economic Resilience

Reduced transportation costs and improved travel times will enhance business competitiveness.
Strengthening Odesa’s role as a port and logistics centre may trigger a new wave of investment in production, processing, and exports with high added value.

4. Institutional and Financial Aspects

The successful implementation of the Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway demands tripartite coordination among national governments and local authorities.
The main institutional prerequisites include:

• Establishing a Trilateral Coordination Council under the Ministries of Infrastructure of Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine;
• Engaging key financial partners such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and CEF funds;
• Aligning the project with the National Transport Strategy of Ukraine 2035 and EUSDR Priority Area 1A (Mobility).

The project’s financing is expected to be implemented in three stages:

1. Construction of the Prut bridge and the Moldovan section;
2. Preparation of the feasibility study for the Ukrainian segment;
3. Integration of the Odesa regional road network into the European motorway system.

5. Prospects for the Integration of “Greater Odesa” into the European Transport Space

The Iași–Odesa motorway could serve as a catalyst for integrating southern Ukraine into the European economic area.
Its completion will:

• Connect “Greater Odesa” to the EU’s Solidarity Lanes initiative, facilitating the export of Ukrainian goods;
• Link the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne with logistics hubs in Chișinău, Iași, and Constanța;
• Support the diversification of trade flows within the broader EU–Ukraine–Caspian transport chain;
• Encourage cross-border cooperation in sustainable transport, tourism, and green innovation.

Thus, “Greater Odesa” could emerge as the southern transport and economic pole of Europe, serving as a key node of the Danube–Black Sea connectivity corridor.

Conclusions

The Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău–Odesa motorway is not merely a transport project but a spatial and integrative initiative that reshapes the transport geography of Eastern Europe.
For the “Greater Odesa” agglomeration, it represents a strategic opportunity to:

• Reinforce its functional role in the European transport framework;
• Stimulate the growth of industrial, logistical, and urban infrastructure;
• Create prerequisites for regional European integration grounded in sustainability and connectivity.

Therefore, this project should be considered a priority component of Ukraine’s national transport and regional development strategy, aligned with the EU’s transnational infrastructure policies and the long-term objectives of the Danube–Black Sea macro-regional cooperation.