The route approved on July 12 by the Technical and Economic Council of the National Company for Road Infrastructure Management (CNAIR) illegally runs only 30m above Cantacuzino Castle and directly through the protected area of this class A historical monument, according to Kurt Neuschitzer, administrator of the Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni.

And all of this is now to be restricted and ruined by the inconsistent planning of a highway's construction, he argued.

Currently, tourists from around the world visit the castle, especially after it became one of the filming locations of the very successful Netflix series "Wednesday". Groups from Japan, China, Australia, America and all of Europe visit the castle every day.

The route approved by CNAIR reportedly runs directly above the mountain town of Busteni, close to the houses, guesthouses and hotels in the area, affecting the entire layout of the Prahova Valley, the document from Cantacuzino Castle reads. The project thus leads to permanent destruction of the entire tourism business in Bușteni and the surrounding area, the authors claim.

Cantacuzino Castle also shared a video simulation of the future motorway's route here.

With a total length of 112.7 km (including the existing Cristian – Rasnov section), this motorway will have 12 road interchanges, 13 tunnels (12.4 km) and 61 structures (28.75 km), the CNAIR head said. The estimated cost for the motorway construction is EUR 5.5 bln, excluding VAT.

The Ploiesti – Brasov highway will ensure connectivity between the important tourist centres of Prahova Valley (Comarnic, Sinaia, Azuga, Predeal, Brasov).

It remains to be seen whether this year a first section of this project, from Brasov, will be auctioned for design and execution, as announced by transport minister Sorin Grindeanu.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Dreamstime.com)