Berceanu added that construction works on the Medgidia – Constanta highway sector are „a little behind schedule” and stressed he plans to run more checkups at the construction site, maybe even alongside Prime Minister Emil Boc, in order to step up works.
The minister said three consortiums of companies are in charge with construction works. He stressed, however, that it isn’t only their fault that works are behind schedule, because, he went on saying, several archaeological vestiges required changes in the highway route on nearly five kilometers, which stalled works.
Mid-July, Berceanu said modernization works on the railway linking capital Bucharest to southeastern Constanta will be finalized in July 2011, and a train ride on that distance will take two and a half hours.
Works on the railway, which is part of the fourth pan-European transportation corridor, were supposed to be completed this year. However, after the completion of upgrade works on the railway, passenger trains will be able to reach speeds up to 160 kilometers/hour, while freight trains will be able to reach up to 120 kilometers/hour.
Early August, Boc said authorities plan to finish works on beltways around Sibiu, Cluj, Turnu Severin and Lugoj and continue works on two highways. He added at the time the Government also plans to finish in 2010 works on beltways around Sibiu (central Romania), Cluj (northwestern Romania), Turnu Severin (southwestern Romania) and Lugoj (western Romania), a few kilometers of the Transylvania Highway (which is to link central Brasov to western Bors on the border with Hungary).
The Government also wants to continue works on the highway linking capital Bucharest to southeastern Constanta and the beltway around Bucharest.