Upgrading Road Infrastructure with Private-Sector Support
The National Company of Motorways and National Roads (CNADNR) is developing modern road infrastructure to support Romania’s continued economic development. CNADNR is responsible for developing, maintaining, operating, upgrading and expanding all national roads and highways in Romania, including border crossings and other related facilities and services.
As part of Romania’s long-term programme to rehabilitate its road network, CNADNR has overseen upgrades to some 11,300 km of Romanian roads since 1994. While it has been an independent organisation since 1990, CNADNR operates as the representative of Romania’s Ministry of Transport to select winning bids in tender programmes for Romania’s road-infrastructure projects.
Narcis Stefan Neaga, President of the company since 2013, has transformed CNADNR into a dynamic, forward-thinking organisation. He has also implemented a new strategy aimed at stepping up the use of EU funding for road projects from 2014 to 2020. He has taken a strong stand against corruption and is planning to split CNADNR into separate divisions for highway and road projects in an effort to achieve greater efficiency. He says, “The main objectives of CNADNR are to promote progressive, innovative changes in Romania’s road infrastructure.” As part of this commitment to innovation, CNADNR now has its own research institute.
Selecting most competitive companies
Infrastructure development is crucial for Romania’s sustainable economic growth, and Narcis Stefan Neaga aims for CNADNR to ensure that this development is handled properly. He explains, “I am a strong believer in upgrading Romania’s infrastructure sector overall, including through performing better feasibility studies and reaching out more to the private sector to find the most competitive companies to entrust with Romania’s road projects.”
Narcis Stefan Neaga adds that Romania needs EU funding to reach its infrastructure targets and that it is crucial for the country to allocate EU funding for road projects more efficiently. In spite of the availability of EU financing for road development since Romania joined the EU, the country’s road network is still below par.
The private sector has a key role to play in the on-going improvement of Romania’s road infrastructure, according to Narcis Stefan Neaga. He welcomes foreign investors and says, “I believe in competition among private companies seeking to do infrastructure projects in Romania, and Romania needs the expertise of private investors and companies to complete infrastructure projects in the right way. We are prioritising projects which are part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN) initiative.” For foreign investors, CNADNR’s projects represent outstanding potential.
