Romania’s National Highways Company (CNADNR) took over the Arad-Timisoara highway at the end of last week, after the two-year warranty period granted by the constructor had ended.

CNADNR ignored several problems mentioned in a technical report published last fall, including the existence of a water spring in the middle of the highway, and allowed the joint venture that worked on the highway, made of Italian group Astaldi and Spanish FCC, to recover the last part of the performance bond, namely EUR 5 million.

The total value of the contract for the 32.25-kilometer highway was EUR 107 million.

The water infiltrations on the Arad-Timisoara highway were found by French company Egis, which made a technical report last year. According to the report, water has infiltrated the highway on a 100-meter segment due to a spring located in the middle of the highway, Digi 24 reports.

The problem could have been solved by changing the drainage system. However, the joint venture of Astaldi-FCC, which constructed the highway, hasn’t undertaken this change and CNADNR hasn’t asked it to make the repair.

According to the Egis report, the problems has been known since August 2013, when the construction work ended. Permanent water stains could be seen on the highway. According to Egis engineers, the changes in the drainage system would cost about EUR 557,000.

Despite the report, CNADNR took over the highway without demanding the constructor to change the drainage system. Astaldi-FCC would have been obliged to undertake the work, because the association not only constructed the highway, but also designed it.

This case is somewhat similar to that of the Sibiu-Orastie highway, where CNADNR had to close down one segment less than a year after inauguration because of cracks in the road. A 200-meter highway section of the highway was demolished and is currently being rebuilt.

Work on demolished highway segment in Romania, ready in September

editor@romania-insider.com