Romania’s Transport Ministry will launch EU-funded projects worth EUR 5.57 billion by the end of next year, among which the construction of 289 kilometers of highway and the upgrade of 166 kilometers of railway, Transport Minister Anca Boagiu said Sunday.

"We're using EUR5.5 billion from the Transport Operating Program and 72 percent of the ministry's budget for next year, namely 8.3 billion lei (EUR 1.9 billion), to co-finance these projects," Boagiu told a news conference.

By the end of next year, the Transport Ministry is to launch auctions for the construction of 289 kilometers of highway worth a total EUR 2.5 billion. The highway sections to be auctioned are Nadlac-Arad (38.8 km, EUR 234 million), Orastie-Sibiu (82 km, EUR 693 million), Deva-Orastie (32.8 km, EUR 355 million), Timisoara-Lugoj (35.6 km, EUR 217 million), to be completed in 2013, and Lugoj-Deva (99.5 km, EUR 1.02 billion) to be completed in 2015.

Romania currently has 314 kilometers of highway and 243 kilometers under construction, to be completed in 2011 and 2012 for a total EUR2.5 billion.

Mediafax