A3 motorway (Romania)

Infobox road
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state =
highway_name = Autostrada Transilvania
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alternate_name = "A3"
maint = National Company of Motorways and National Roads of Romania
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length_km = 415
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direction_a =
terminus_a = Brasov
beltway_city =
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direction_b =
terminus_b = Borş
counties =
rural_municipalities =
cities = Braşov, Făgăraş, Sighişoara, Târgu Mureş, Cluj-Napoca, Zalău and Oradea
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Autostrada Transilvania or A3 is a motorway currently being constructed in Romania. It will be a four-lane, 415-kilometer motorway, stretching northwest from Braşov in central Romania, at an altitude of nearly 600 meters, reaching the country's border with Hungary at Oradea, in Câmpia Crişanei at 130 meters above sea level. The motorway will connect the cities of Braşov, Făgăraş, Sighişoara, Târgu Mureş, Cluj-Napoca, Zalău and Oradea.

About the project

The motorway will be sponsored and owned by the Government of Romania. The motorway is being built by American company Bechtel together with his regional partner Enka A.S. of Turkey. The A3 will follow almost the same route as the DN1 road (National Road 1), which became insufficient due to the growing rate of traffic between Bucharest and Transylvania. The contract has been assigned by the Romanian government directly (without any offer of competition) to Bechtel; that caused some political problems in Parliament and caused some tensions with the European Union.

The construction of the motorway is particularly important for Romania's integration into the European economy, and will link the markets of Europe and Central Asia. Both during its construction and on its completion planned for 2013, the motorway will bring important economic benefits to Romania thanks to the joining of the European Union on January 1 2007 and will form an important section of the Romanian national motorway system, providing a vital connection with the rest of Europe.

Technical specifications

*Excavation: 93,000,000 m³
*Fill: 51,000,000 m³
*Ballast & crushed stone base: 12,000,000 m³
*Drainage pipes: 500,000 lm
*Asphalt: 7,000,000 m³
*Structures: 62 km
*Piling: 560,000 lm
*Reinforced and precast concrete: 3,000,000 m³

Technical data

*Total length: 415 km
*Platform width: 26 m
*Road width: 2 x 7.5 m
*Bridges/viaducts: 267/over 60 km
*Overpasses: 94
*Underpasses: 58
*Interchanges: 16
*Completion deadline: 2013.

Construction progress

The official groundbreaking ceremony for Autostrada Transilvania was held near the village of Vălişoara on June 16, 2004. At present, works are being performed simultaneously on two segments - 2B Campia Turzii-Cluj Vest, and 3C Suplacu de Barcău-Borş.

In Section 2B (Cluj Vest- Campia Turzii) earthworks are currently ongoing with mass excavation, structural platform preparation, filling operations, box culvert installation, surface drainage concrete, slope protection, unsuitable material deposit area preparation, access roads construction and maintenance, installation of environmental protection measures. Structural activities include piling installation, pile head breaking, foundation works, abutment walls, pier elevation and pier head activities. In addition, reinforcing steel preparation has continued. As far as now, 51 U-beams were produced and 56 U-beams were installed at km 24+428. Prestressed U beams are manufactured in the camps near Săvădisla and Turda, being the first to produce such beams throughout Romania. Each 37.1-meter long beam weights 165 tones and consists of an amount of 9,000 kg of steel, 60 m3 of concrete and 3400 kg strands.

The 2B Section structures have an overall length of 5.248 m. The longest structure is located at km 13 and it has a 960-meter length. A number of 192 U-beams will be installed during its construction process. Paving activities started on August 4 with 1,700 tonnes of asphalt treated base were layed. At present, the paving activities continue with ballast base and crushed stone base installation. The asphalt layer will be 29cm thick and is composed of an asphalt treated base (ATB) (18 cm), a binder course (6cm) and a wearing course (5cm). On average, there are being layed 2,500-3,000 tonnes of asphalt treated base, asphalt produced in the Asphalt Plant from Săvădisla. To pave one kilometer of motorway, there are being used 7400 m³ of Asphalt Treated Base. The paving activities are executed on the motorway segment between Săvădisla and Turda.

In September 2008, paving activities continued with ballast base and crushed stone base installation. Full asphalt laying continued with asphalt treated base and asphalt binder courses between km 29+802 and km 34+937 with 28,370 tones installed this month. Drainage work continued with the installation of gutter, ditches and drainage pipes. Asphalt wearing course trial has been undertaken at km 33+400. Quarry activities in Section 2B have continued with asphalt aggregate production and ballast base production. Thus, 34,462 m³ of ballast sub-base, 2,120 m³ of crushed stone base have been manufactured in September and 18,356 m³ of ballast sub-base and 3,618 m³ of crushed stone base have been installed. 29,393 tones of asphalt aggregates have been also manufactured and 28,370 tones of aggregates have been installed.

In Section 3C (Suplacu de Barcău-Borş) earthworks activities are ongoing in limited areas between km 10 and km 42 and include topsoil removal, mass excavation, fill operations, unsuitable material deposit area preparation and maintenance, access road construction, and installation of environmental protection works are ongoing.

Structural activities include piling installation, pile head breaking, foundation works, abutment walls, pier elevation, and pier head activities for Section 3C. In addition, reinforcing steel preparation has continued and 28 U-beams were produced. Quarry activities in support of Section 3C have continued for ballast base, CSB and asphalt aggregate production. Asphalt plant set up works are being performed in Salard.

During September 2008, 280,298 m³ of structural and mass excavation and 401,818 m³ of structure and mass fill were executed on both Sections in progress. Throughout this period, 12,622 m³ of structural concrete was cast. 79 U-beams have been manufactured and 56 U-beams have been installed on both Sections, as well. Work also continues on the Suplacu de Barcău Viaduct, the largest structure along the length of Autostrada Transilvania.

Braşov-Bucureşti segments

The first segment, from Bucharest to Moara Vlăsiei will be built as a six-lane set of carriageways to accommodate commuting and holiday surplus traffic; the motorway will cross the Carpathian Mountains along the Prahova Valley (the Ploieşti - Braşov segment is considered the most difficult section to be built). It will also provide access to the future Terminal 2 of the Henri Coandă Airport and to the future A5 (Ploieşti - Chişinău) motorway, via the Ploieşti West interchange. Works on Bucharest - Ploieşti section of the A3 started on March 15, 2007. [ [http://english.hotnews.ro/Bucharest-Brasov-highway-works-launched-articol_44509.htm Hotnews 15.03.2007 ] ]

*Total length: 173.3 km
*Tunnel length: 2.65 km
*Nodes: 14
*Projected limit speed: 80 - 100 - 120 km/h
*Platform width: 26.0 m
*Road width: 2 x 7.5 m
*Intersections: 12
*Bridges/viaducts: 27.65 km
*Estimated cost: 1.415 mil euros

ee also

*Roads in Romania
*Transport in Romania

External links

* [http://www.autostradatransilvania.ro Autostrada Transilvania website]
* [http://www.mt.ro/autostrazi2007-2013/Evolutie%20autostrazi%202007%20_%202013_inserare_tabele.pdf Motorways in Romania 2007-2013 (pdf file)]
* [http://www.andnet.ro/ C.N.A.D.N.R.]
* [http://www.notez.ro/mapc/transilvania/autostrada_transilvania.html A3 motorway on Google Maps]

References