New road connection with Hungary, through Salonta, within Arad-Oradea Express Road project

The president of the Bihor County Council, Ilie Bolojan, on Tuesday stated that Romania will be connected to Western Europe by a new road to be linked with the M44 highway in Hungary, which will be an express road.

According to a press release of the Bihor County Council, the new project was approved at the Romanian - Hungarian bilateral meeting in the field of transport, held in Hungary last week, on May 26.

The road will connect the towns of Salonta and Bekescsaba, north of Mehkerek locality. It will measures 50-kilometre in length, of which 43 kilometres will be built on the territory of the Hungarian state and the remaining 7 kilometres in Romania.

This segment will be included in the Arad-Oradea Express Road, managed by the Bihor and Arad County Councils and the City Halls of Oradea and Arad Municipalities, in partnership with the National Company for Road Infrastructure Management (CNAIR).

"In the next period, geotechnical studies will be carried out on this new section of road, and will be included in the technical project, which will be handed over at the end of this year. On the Romanian side, a border crossing point will be arranged. The Bihor County Council commissioned the designer to adapt the project according to this decision. According to estimates, the segment on the Romanian side could be executed by the beginning of 2027, and the one on the Hungarian side after this date, Ilie Bolojan told a press conference.

The Romanian delegation that attended the bilateral meeting on May 26 was led by Adrian Foghis, Secretary of State with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

At the same press conference, the president of the Bihor County Council also presented the current status of the "Arad - Oradea Express Road" project. The technical project is 40pct completed. Archaeological discharges and topographic measurements have been completed on the approximately 120 kilometres, and geotechnical studies are carried out in a proportion of more than 80pct.