DEx12 expressway

The DEx12 expressway (Romanian: Drumul expres DEx12), also known as the Pitești–Craiova Expressway (Romanian: Drumul expres Pitești–Craiova), is a partially built expressway in the south-western part of Romania, previously labelled as A12, when it was considered as a future motorway.^[1] It will connect the cities of Pitești (branching off the A1 motorway), Slatina and Craiova (where it is planned to merge with the also planned A6 motorway), being 121 km long, with an estimated total cost of 1.66 billion euro.^[2]

DEx12 expressway
Drumul expres DX12
Route information
Maintained by Compania Națională de Autostrăzi și Drumuri Naționale din România
Length	109.3 km (67.9 mi) 11.7 km (7.3 mi) under construction 121.1 km (75.2 mi) planned
Existed	2022–present
Major junctions
From	A 1 near Pitești
To	A 6 near Craiova (planned)
Location
Country	Romania
Counties	Argeș, Olt, Dolj
Highway system
Roads in Romania Highways
← A 11 → A 13

As of 29 November 2024, the Craiova - Albota segment is in service, totaling 109.3 km (67.9 mi).

Expressway 12 near Piatra Olt

Temporary terminus of Expressway 12 east of Slatina

History

While planned as a motorway, the construction was tendered as a concession contract in March 2013,^[3] that should have been awarded until December 2013.^[2] It was also yet to be decided whether it would be built as a motorway or an expressway.^[4]

In April 2017, it was suggested for the first time that this road will be an express road and not a motorway.^[5] Despite receiving criticism in the media for this switch,^[6] the road was tendered in November 2017.^[7]

It is split into four sections. The contracts for the sections 1 and 2 were awarded in October 2018 to the Italian company Tirrena Scavi and the Romanian company Spedition UMB, respectively,^[8] while those for the sections 3 and 4 had been signed in September 2020 with the Romanian joint-venture SA&PE Construct-Spedition UMB-Tehnostrade, without waiting for the decisions of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, the bids being challenged by several other participants.^[9] Initially, the first tenders for the sections 3 and 4, launched during 2017,^[10] had been canceled in August 2018 due to other participants challenging them,^[11] being launched again during 2019.^[12]

Works on section 3 were allowed to begin in May 2021,^[13] but the contract for section 4 was terminated by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, who obliged the CNAIR to review the bids of the Chinese company China Railway, of the Turkish company Nurol, and of the Italian company Rizzani, all who challenged the winning bid for the said section.^[14] In August 2021, the contract for section 4 was signed again with the same Romanian joint-venture with which the first contract was signed.^[15]

Among companies asking for the expressway works to begin as soon as possible was the automaker Ford, who has a car plant in Craiova. Due to this, the expressway is sometimes referred to as the Autostrada Ford (Ford motorway).^[16] In May 2021, the CNAIR submitted a request for the financing of a feasibility study and technical project for what could be a new connecting road between National Road 6 near the Ford Craiova plant and the DEx12 expressway.^[17]

In March 2022, construction works for section 4 began.^[18] However, on the 21st December, the contract for section 1, with Tirrena Scavi, was cancelled. The progress for the execution of the section currently sits at 58.26%.^[19]

Openings timeline

• 21 April 2022: Slatina - Balș (16.0 km)^[20]
• 28 July 2022: the Slatina bypass (21.3 km)^[21]
• 23 December 2023: Slatina - Colonești (31.88 km)^[22]
• 28 November 2024: Colonești - Albota (20.1 km)^[23]
• 29 November 2024: Craiova - Balș (17.7 km)^[24]

Exit list

Exits and buildings (eastbound)
Craiova (DJ) – Albota (AG) 109 km
	km 0	Craiova North			In Service
	km 1	Craiova / Ghercești	DJ643F		In Service
	km 14	Parking			In Service
	km 21	Balș West			In Service
	km 27	Balș East	DJ644		In Service
	km 29	Parking			In Service
	km 35	Slatina West / Găneasa / Piatra-Olt			In Service
	km 41	Parking			In Service
	km 50	Slatina South	DJ546		In Service
	km 55	Parking			In Service
	km 57	Slatina East			In Service
	km 67	Parking			In Service
	km 74	Negreni / Scornicești			In Service
	km 83	Parking			In Service
	km 88	Colonești			Planned
	km 99	Parking			In Service
	km 108	Podu Broșteni / Costești / Albota			In Service
	km 113	Suseni	DJ659		Planned
	km 115	Parking			Under Construction
	km 121	Pitești South			Under Construction

See also

• Roads in Romania
• Transport in Romania

References

1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "Şova: Tronsoanele de autostradă Comarnic-Braşov, Craiova-Piteşti şi centura de sud a Capitalei, gata până la alegerile din 2016". Mediafax. 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
3. "Contract de concesiune de lucrari publice privind proiectarea, constructia, finantarea, operarea si întretinerea Drumului Expres / Autostrada Craiova – Pitesti*, km 0+000 – km 121+185". CNADNR. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
4. "Craiova – Pitești, drum expres sau autostradă?". Gazeta de Sud. 31 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
5. (romaniajournal.ro) Pitesti-Craiova will be express road, not highway – Transport Minister says: http://www.romaniajournal.ro/pitesti-craiova-will-be-express-road-not-highway-transport-minister-says/%5B‍%5D
6. "Deputat USR: În loc de autostrada Craiova – Piteşti, "vor să construiască un drum de nivelul anilor '50–'60"". 14 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
7. "Au fost deschise ofertele la licitaţia pentru drumul expres Craiova-Piteşti -". 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
8. "HARTĂ INTERACTIVĂ Au fost desemnați constructorii pentru jumătate din Drumul expres Pitești – Craiova: 385 de milioane de euro pentru circa 60 de km. Vezi cine sunt câștigătorii și pe unde va trece viitoarea șosea – Infrastructura – HotNews.ro". October 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
9. "Drumul Expres DX12 Craiova – Pitești: Ultimele două tronsoane, contractate cu UMB / Decizia CNAIR care grăbește implementarea proiectului". HotNews.ro (in Romanian). 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
10. "HARTĂ INTERACTIVĂ Drumul expres Craiova - Pitești: UMB câștigă contractul și pentru execuția Tronsonului 4. Constructorul român, pe trei din patru loturi".
11. "Drumul Expres DX12 Craiova - Pitești: Ultimele două tronsoane, contractate cu UMB / Decizia CNAIR care grăbește implementarea proiectului".
12. "HARTĂ INTERACTIVĂ Drumul expres Craiova - Pitești: Interes mare din partea constructorilor din Turcia și din China pentru tronsoanele 3 și 4 / 400 de mil. Euro pentru 64 de km".
13. "VIDEO Imagini din dronă, în premieră, cu începutul lucrărilor la lotul 3 al drumului expres Craiova-Pitești". HotNews.ro (in Romanian). 4 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
14. ""Autostrada Ford". Instanța obligă CNAIR să reevalueze ofertele pentru tronsonul 4, după ce a semnat deja contract cu Umbrărescu". Economica.net (in Romanian). 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
15. "Drumul Expres DX12 Craiova – Pitești: A fost semnat contractul pe ultimul tronson cu românii de la UMB, același constructor care anul acesta ar urma sa finalizeze circa 40 de km din proiect". HotNews.ro. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
16. "VIDEO Drumul expres Craiova-Pitești / Decizie inedită a CNAIR: semnează cu firmele lui Dorinel Umbrărescu contractele pentru construcția tronsoanelor 3 și 4, deși sunt contestații pe rol la Curtea de Apel". G4Media (in Romanian). 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
17. "CNAIR construieşte un drum de legătură între Uzina Ford Craiova şi Drumul Expres Craiova – Piteşti. Cum va fi finanţat". Adevărul (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
18. Marta, Elena (2022-03-22). "Pro Infrastructură: Lucrări incipiente pe Tronsonul 4 al DEx12 Craiova-Pitești" (in Romanian). Retrieved 2022-03-24.
19. "E oficial: CNAIR reziliază contractele cu Tirrena Scavi". Economica.net (in Romanian). 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
20. "VIDEO Primul tronson de drum expres din România se deschide azi: Cum arată DEx12 de lângă Balș cu câteva ore înainte de inaugurare". www.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2022-04-21.
21. "S-a deschis Centura Slatina, pe Drumul Expres Craiova - Pitești. Cum se circulă pe cei 21 de km de drum de mare viteză". www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2022-07-28.
22. "VIDEO Se deschide circulația pe Drumul Expres 12: Încă un lot construit de UMB, gata de inaugurare / Cum arată". www.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-12-23.
23. "VIDEO Dublă inaugurare pe Drumul Expres Craiova – Pitești. S-a deschis circulația parțial pe tronsonul 4, urmează vineri o altă inaugurare pe primul tronson / Cum arată din dronă – UPDATE". www.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
24. "Video Se circulă pe 109 kilometri din Drumul Expres Craiova-Piteşti. A fost deschis și tronsonul 1". www.adevarul.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-12-23.

External links

• Map of the planned motorway route
• CNADNR – Craiova – Pitești Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine