Italian consortium wins contract for the final Romanian section of the A8 motorway toward Moldova

Romania’s National Road Investment Company (CNIR) has selected the winner for the design and construction contract for Section 4 of the Târgu Mureș–Iași–Ungheni A8 motorway. This is the final stretch of the motorway to be built on Romanian territory before reaching the border with the Republic of Moldova.

The winning bidder is an Italian consortium comprising ITINERA S.p.A. (leader), ICM S.p.A., and SAIPEM S.p.A. The value of the contract is RON 3.57 billion excluding VAT.

The project covers the section between Iași and the bridge over the Prut River at Ungheni, with a total length of 15.5 km. It is particularly significant because it also includes, for the first time, the construction of a motorway segment of approximately 5 km on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, within the framework of the SAFE programme.

The total contract duration is 46 months, including 10 months for design and 36 months for construction. The authorities have indicated that priority will be given to the 2.77 km section between the Golăești interchange and the bridge over the Prut at Ungheni, where preparatory work is already at a more advanced stage.

Technically, the section is highly complex. It includes 14 bridges and overpasses, 2 tunnels—one of them approximately 1,760 metres long—and 2 interchanges. One of these interchanges is planned to provide future access to the regional hospital and Iași Airport, while the second will be located in the Golăești area.

For Romania, this is the last motorway section before the route reaches Moldova. For the Republic of Moldova, it represents the first motorway segment integrated into a European transport corridor through the new crossing over the Prut. In this sense, the project has not only transport value, but also broader strategic importance for regional mobility, freight flows, and cross-border connectivity.

IDR commentary

The Institute of Danube Research considers this decision to be much more than another road infrastructure contract. In practical terms, it marks the shaping of a new infrastructure axis between Romania and Moldova, strengthening the eastern flank of the European transport network and creating conditions for deeper regional logistics integration.

What is especially important is that the project has been designed from the outset as a cross-border undertaking, with the motorway extending onto Moldovan territory and linking to the future logistics infrastructure around Ungheni. This signals a transition from a model of simple border connection to one of a shared transport space.

In a broader regional context, the A8 project may enhance the role of Iași, Ungheni, and the adjacent border area as a node of road, logistics, and potentially multimodal interaction. For the wider Black Sea and Danube region, it is also a clear sign that Romania and Moldova are systematically building infrastructure that increases route diversification, improves access to EU borders, and supports a new architecture of regional connectivity.

The contract for Section 4 of the A8 confirms the transition from the concept of a cross-border motorway to its practical implementation. If the procedure is not delayed by appeals, the Italian consortium will begin work on the section that will connect Iași with the bridge over the Prut at Ungheni and at the same time lay the first kilometres of motorway on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. This gives the project the status of one of the most important new infrastructure developments on the Romania–Moldova axis in 2026.