The project will implement the third section of the Sibiu – Pitești Motorway (A1) between the localities of Cornetu and Tigveni (Vâlcea and Argeș counties), which will have a length of 37.4 km and will include 52 bridges, one ecoduct, one tunnel, two interchanges, two service areas, and a maintenance and coordination center.
The main beneficiaries of this project are: users of the transport network (drivers and transport operators), as well as local communities.
The segment targeted by this contract is part of the strategically important Sibiu-Pitești Highway project, part of the TEN-T Core network, which will complete the Rhine-Danube corridor, providing a fast and safe connection between the western border with Hungary and the port of Constanța. The completion of the entire highway will reduce travel time, improve road safety, and modernize the transport infrastructure.
Currently, traffic between Sibiu and Pitești takes place on DN7, a crowded and dangerous route that causes frequent delays and has a low average speed (60 km/h). Between 2012 and 2018, road accidents on DN7 increased by 40%, making this road dangerous and inefficient for both passenger and freight transport.
To address these issues, the Sibiu-Pitești highway will provide a fast and safe route, uninterrupted, between Sibiu and Pitești, crossing the counties of Sibiu, Vâlcea, and Argeș. The route will include cities and localities such as: Șelimbăr, Tălmaciu, Turnu Roșu; Câineni, Racovița, Perișani; Sălătrucu, Șuici, Cepari, Tigveni, Curtea de Argeș, Băiculești, Merișani, Budeasa, and Bascov. The project is divided into five sections:
• Sibiu-Boița (13.17 km)
• Boița-Cornetu (31.33 km)
• Cornetu-Tigveni (37.40 km)
• Tigveni-Curtea de Argeș (9.86 km)
• Curtea de Argeș-Pitești (30.35 km)
Main benefits include:
• Reduced travel time and increased safety: Provides modern infrastructure for passengers and transporters.
• Strategic connections: Creates a continuous corridor between Western Europe and the Black Sea, facilitating international trade.
• Economic development: Stimulates investments, creates jobs, and supports local businesses and tourism.
• Pollution and congestion reduction: Eases heavy traffic on DN7, bringing direct environmental and health benefits for communities.
The construction of the highway will modernize Romania’s transport network, reducing congestion, travel time, and the risk of accidents. This project will have a major impact on the national economy, facilitating freight transport and improving the country’s connection to the European network.
More info at: https://fonduri.mt.ro/programul-transport-pt-2021-2027/proiectele-pt/autostrada-sibiu-pitesti-sectiunea-3-cornetu-tigveni
You can also find more information on the beneficiary’s dedicated project page: https://www.cnadnr.ro/ro/proiecte/autostrada-sibiu-pite%C8%99ti-sec%C8%9Biunea-3
"],"originalDescriptions":["The general objective of the Sibiu-Pitesti motorway, as defined in the MPGT, is to improve the economic efficiency of Romanian transport, by improving the travel time between Sibiu and Pitesti and implicitly improving connectivity at regional level. The objective of the corridor is to provide direct access to the Black Sea through a unified motorway profile as well as to other countries through border connections. The new motorway is the first to cross the Carpathian Mountains and will bring significant development opportunities for all communities from the north to the south of Romania. Thus, the project aims to provide an appropriate mix of ‘high-quality road’ infrastructure, as part of the national infrastructure network, to accommodate long-distance freight and passenger traffic, as well as local traffic specific to the metropolitan area, while ensuring an adequate level of traffic safety and security."],"startTimes":["2022-08-05"],"endTimes":["2027-12-31"],"euBudgets":["562542263,05"],"totalBudgets":["1406355657,63"],"images":["https://kohesio.ec.europa.eu/images/d24b118b-673d-4ce0-b5aa-a04d522afb25.jpg"],"copyrightImages":["© © © CNADR"],"coordinates":["24.1538719,45.0404536","24.8488685,44.9939764"],"objectiveIds":["PO03"],"countrycode":["RO"]},{"link":"https://linkedopendata.eu/entity/Q3095626","item":"Q3095626","snippet":[],"labels":["Integrated infrastructure for the orbital area of Bucharest changed"],"originalLabels":["Integrated infrastructure for the orbital area of Bucharest"],"descriptions":["Enhancing mobility and connectivity through the development and modernisation of Bucharest's ring road infrastructure.
The "Integrated Infrastructure for the Orbital Area of Bucharest" project addresses the need for improved mobility and connectivity in the Bucharest metropolitan area. Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, faces significant traffic congestion and accessibility challenges due to its expanding population and economic activities. The project focuses on developing and modernising essential road infrastructure, with an emphasis on enhancing mobility on the central Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) road network. The objective is to facilitate better interconnectivity between national roads, motorways, and Bucharest's local road network, ultimately improving traffic safety and access to the city.
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Ending Crete’s electricity isolation through a high-capacity link with mainland Greece
This Cohesion Policy project supports the second stage of Phase II of the electricity interconnection between Crete and Attica, one of the most important energy infrastructure investments in Greece.
For decades, Crete depended heavily on local oil-fired power plants to cover its electricity needs. This created high costs, environmental pressure and supply-security challenges, especially during periods of high demand. The Crete–Attica interconnection changes this situation by linking the island more fully to the mainland electricity transmission system.
The project concerns a high-voltage direct current connection with a capacity of 2 × 500 MW, allowing electricity to flow between Attica and Crete. It is part of the wider effort to integrate Greek islands into the national grid, reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-based local generation and support the use of renewable energy.
The construction of the Crete–Attica interconnection was completed in late 2024, with cable system acceptance tests successfully completed in early 2025. The transfer of direct current through the line began in May 2025, marking the start of operational use.
The project promoter, Ariadne Interconnection, now presents the Crete–Attica interconnection as a completed reality. This means the project has moved beyond construction and is now part of Greece’s wider energy transition, helping Crete shift away from oil-fired local generation and become more integrated into the national electricity system.
The Kohesio fiche Q7491075 should be read as the 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy operation supporting the second stage of Phase II. It relates to the same broader Crete–Attica interconnection described in earlier European Commission material, but it is not the same administrative operation as the earlier 2014–2020 stage.
These projects are related context only:
This Cohesion Policy project extends the Thessaloniki Metro to Kalamaria, bringing rapid, high-capacity public transport to densely populated neighbourhoods in the south-east of the metropolitan area.
The extension adds 4.8 km of underground line and five new stations – Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and Mikra – to the metro network. It connects with the basic line, which opened in November 2024 and runs for 9.6 km through 13 stations between the New Railway Station and Nea Elvetia.
Together, the basic line and Kalamaria extension represent the largest major infrastructure project supported by Structural Funds in Greece during the 2014–2020 period and a flagship Cohesion Policy investment in sustainable urban mobility.
The metro is Greece’s first driverless system and uses fully automated trains and platform screen doors. By offering a fast and reliable alternative to private cars, it addresses some of Thessaloniki’s longstanding challenges: road congestion, time lost in traffic, air pollution and noise.
The Kalamaria extension is scheduled to open to passengers at 15:00 on 27 August 2026, following final authorisation for commercial operation.
The latest published Hellenic Metro estimates for the Kalamaria extension differ from some earlier project forecasts. For consistency, the figures above use the operator’s currently published estimates of 63,000 daily passengers, 12,000 fewer cars and 43 tonnes less CO₂ per day rather than older projections.
The basic Thessaloniki Metro line entered commercial operation on 30 November 2024, marking a major change in a city whose public transport had previously depended predominantly on buses. The 9.6 km basic line comprises 13 stations and introduced Greece’s first fully automated driverless metro.
The next major milestone is now imminent. On 26 August 2026, Hellenic Metro confirmed that all necessary authorisation had been obtained for the Kalamaria branch to enter commercial operation. The five new stations will open to passengers at 15:00 on Thursday 27 August 2026.
Preparations have involved more than simply completing five stations. During 2026, sections of the existing network underwent temporary closures and timetable changes so that the Kalamaria branch could be technically and operationally integrated with the basic line. Final works included signalling, supervision, fare systems, electrical and mechanical installations, lifts, fire detection and other safety systems.
The extension also forms part of a much broader transformation of mobility in Thessaloniki. To realise the full benefits of the metro, coordination between Hellenic Metro, THEMA, OSETH, OASTH, regional and municipal authorities and other transport operators will be important. Integration with buses – including new electric buses – and eventually with rail, port and airport connections can make the metro the central corridor of a genuinely multimodal metropolitan transport system.
Future expansion is already being considered. Hellenic Metro’s planning includes extensions towards the north-western municipalities, including areas towards Stavroupoli, Ampelokipi, Menemeni, Kordelio and Evosmos. The stated planning principle is to prioritise densely populated areas where demand for mass transit is high.
This wider strategy is also consistent with the EU’s continued Cohesion Policy investment in sustainable urban transport. For the 2021–2027 period, the European Commission identifies the Thessaloniki Metro extension alongside Athens Metro Line 4 as emblematic sustainable urban transport investments in Greece.
Thessaloniki is also an important transport and logistics hub for Greece and the wider Balkan region. Developing strong connections between its urban transport system and rail, port, airport and the wider TEN-T network can therefore increase the impact of investments made within the city itself.
Overall, the opening of the Kalamaria extension marks the transition of the Thessaloniki Metro from a newly completed infrastructure project into a growing metropolitan transport network. Cohesion Policy support has played a central role in making that transformation possible.