Transylvania Highway 2026: Transylvania "breaks" the barriers to Europe with 100 new kilometers

Cluj-Napoca – Oradea. After years of promises blocked in canceled tenders and hills that "go downhill", the year 2026 is announced to be the turning point for the infrastructure in northwestern Romania. The authorities in Bucharest and representatives of the National Road Investment Company (CNIR) confirm: almost 100 new kilometers of the A3 Transylvania Highway will be returned to traffic, radically transforming the map of travel times between Cluj, Zalău and Oradea.

An asphalt "marathon" on four key construction sites

Currently, the noise of machinery dominates the landscape between Nădășelu and Poarta Sălajului, but also on critical segments in Bihor County. Although winter imposed a more cautious pace, the builders took advantage of the freezing periods to work on the resistance structures.

• Nădășelu – Poarta Sălajului: Intensive work is underway on the four construction sites that will connect Cluj and Sălaj counties. The critical point remains the area of ​​the Nădășelu and Topa Mică viaducts, where complex engineering solutions are needed to stabilize the difficult terrain.
• Chiribiș – Biharia (28.5 km): This lot, managed by CNIR, has entered an accelerated phase. Over 600 beams are being installed, and the builder has already started laying the first layer of asphalt over a length of two kilometers.
• Suplacu de Barcău – Chiribiș (26.3 km): A "historic" section, where work is underway to complete the famous 1.8 km viaduct that crosses the Suplacu reservoir.
• "From March, once the land has completely dried, we will see a strong mobilization of the embankments. The objective is clear: continuity from Cluj to the border," an official from the Ministry of Transport recently stated.

Why is 2026 the "record year"?

For Romanians in the west of the country, the paradox is a decade old: they get to Vienna faster than Bucharest. The opening of the 100 kilometers in 2026 will partially correct this anomaly, offering a high-speed alternative to the congested national roads (DN1 and DN1F).

What will be inaugurated, exactly?

According to current estimates, the 100 km package consists of:

    Zimbor – Poarta Sălajului (12.24 km) – with a high chance of completion in the first part of the year.
    Nădășelu – Zimbor (30 km) – conditional on the completion of the two new viaducts.
    Suplacu de Barcău – Chiribiș (26.35 km).
    Chiribiș – Biharia (28.5 km) – where current mobilization suggests an advance of the contractual term.

Economic impact: Oradea and Cluj, "glued" to the highway

The completion of these lots does not only mean comfort for tourists, but also an oxygen lung for freight transport. The connection through the Borș II border point will thus become the main exit gate for goods from Transylvania to the rest of the European Union, eliminating traffic bottlenecks in the Bihor and Sălăraș localities.

However, there remains a famous "missing link": the Meseș Tunnel. Until its completion (estimated for 2028-2029), traffic will be unloaded onto the Zalău city ring road, still ensuring considerable fluidity compared to the current route.