A4 motorway (Romania)

The A4 motorway (Romanian: Autostrada A4) is a motorway in Romania that serves as a bypass for the city of Constanța, between Ovidiu and the Port of Constanța, connecting with the A2 motorway via an interchange southwest of the city. It is 22 km long and is planned to be extended to approximately 60 kilometers, stretching further south to the Bulgarian border south of Mangalia, along the western Black Sea coast.^[1] The motorway is part of an extension of the Pan-European Corridor IV, that will be connecting with the Bulgarian city of Varna.^[2]

A4 motorway
Route information
Maintained by Compania Națională de Autostrăzi și Drumuri Naționale din România
Length	21.8 km (13.5 mi) 60 km (37 mi) planned (approx.)
Existed	2011–present
Major junctions
North end	Ovidiu
Major intersections	A 2 near Constanța
South end	Vama Veche (border with Bulgaria)
Location
Country	Romania
Major cities	Constanța, Mangalia
Highway system
Roads in Romania Highways
← A 3 → A 5

The interchange between the A2 motorway and the A4 motorway

Description

The contract for the construction of the stretch of motorway between Ovidiu and Lazu was awarded in September 2008 to the joint venture between the Italian company Astaldi and the Spanish company FCC Construction, and was due to be completed until November 2011.^[3]

A new bridge was built over the Danube – Black Sea Canal, downstream of the Agigea lock,^[4] in order to allow access to the busier southern terminal of the Port of Constanța directly from the motorway.^[5] Works began in July 2010, and were planned to be completed in 2014.^[6]

The bypass was initially built with funds from the state budget, but in the end of 2014, the European Commission awarded funds for the construction from the Cohesion Fund.^[7]

The northern end is planned to be extended with an expressway through Tulcea and ending in Brăila, including Brăila Bridge over Danube,^[8] that would be designated the "DEx8".^[9] As for the southern end, it is planned that tender procedures begin in 2023 for the segment between Agigea and 23 August (c. 29 km), also termed the "Techirghiol Alternative", that would bypass Eforie and its surrounding area. This particular project would involve a reconfiguration of the junction with A2 in order to provide access to the new motorway segment, as well as to nearby Cumpăna.^[10]

Openings timeline

• 29 July 2011: Constanța West (interchange with A2) – Lazu segment (about 5 km).^[11]
• 30 September 2011: DN3 interchange – Constanța West interchange (3 km).^[12]
• 19 July 2012: Ovidiu – DN3 interchange (11 km).^[13]
• 12 July 2013: Lazu – Port of Constanța segment (2 km).^[14]

Exit list

Exits and buildings (Southbound)
Constanța bypass (22 km)
	km 0	Ovidiu, Constanța Airport / Mamaia	DN22 / DN2A	opened July 2012
	km 3	Parking		opened
	km 5	Poiana / Palazu Mare	DC89	opened January 2022
	km 10	Valu lui Traian / Constanța City Centre	DN3	opened September 2011
	km 12	Cernavodă, Bucharest	A 2	opened July 2011
	km 19	Constanța South / Eforie, Mangalia	DN39	opened July 2011
	km 21	Port of Constanța		opened July 2013

References

1. "Harta autostrazilor din Romania". e-Transport.ro. 10 December 2010. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010.
2. "Autostrada București-Constanța, prelungită până la Varna". România Liberă. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
3. "Despre proiect". Proiect Varianta Ocolire Constanta. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
4. "A început construcția noului pod rutier peste Canalul Dunăre - Marea Neagră".
5. "Încep despăgubirile pentru noul pod rutier peste Canalul Dunăre – Marea Neagră". Ziua Constanța. 12 July 2012.
6. "Reporter NTV - Retete, Ingrediente, Preparare, Servire".
7. "EU funds of EUR 260 M for Romanian highways | the Romania Journal". Archived from the original on 18 January 2015.
8. "Pe unde va trece drumul expres din România care va lega litoralul românesc de Delta Dunării". 20 December 2014.
9. "Studiu de fezabilitate pentru realizarea drumului expres Ovidiu – Tulcea". 10 May 2019.
10. "HARTĂ INTERACTIVĂ Autostrada spre sudul Litoralului. Pe unde va trece „Alternativa Techirghiol", noul drum care va ocoli aglomerația din Eforie / Nod spectaculos cu A4 și A2". monitorizari.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2022-09-06.
11. "Autostrada Soarelui, mai lungă cu 21 de kilometri". Adevărul. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
12. "Infrastructură cu țârâita: Am mai terminat patru kilometri de autostradă". Infrastructura.info. 30 September 2011.
13. "Varianta de Ocolire a Municipiului Constanta va fi deschisă traficului" (PDF). CNADNR. 19 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
14. "Prelungirea autostrăzii București – Constanța s-a deschis circulației". ReporterNTV.ro. 12 July 2013.

External links

• Map of the Constanța bypass (pdf file)
• CNADNR – Varianta de ocolire Constanța