A1 (Romania): Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Currently, the A1 freeway (Autostrada A1 in Romanian) is a 113-kilometer motorway linking Bucharest, the capital of Romania, with Piteşti, a city in Argeş County. The A1 was the first freeway to be built in Romania, constructed in the 1960s during the Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej communist regime and upgraded in 2000. The motorway is to be expanded to 620 km by 2014, connecting the capital city of Bucharest to the Banat region in western Romania and furthermore to central european motorway system.

Extensions in progress

Piteşti East ring

A new 15-km long segment of highway, known as the Piteşti East ring, is currently under construction. It will divert the traffic from the city centre of Piteşti. The project is expected to be completed in 2007.

Sibiu ring

The 23 km of motorway forming a ring around Sibiu are to be completed in 2007.

Extension Piteşti-Arad-Budapest and Timişoara-Belgrade

There are plans to extend the freeway from Piteşti to the border with Hungary, via Râmnicu Vâlcea , Sibiu, Deva, Timişoara, Arad and Nădlac (at the Romanian/Hungarian border), along the 4th European corridor. It is planned that A1 will be connected with the Hungarian M43 motorway, which will constitute a branch of the M5 motorway in Hungary.