Record investments in infrastructure in recent years

In the past four years, the Republic of Moldova has undergone the most extensive phase of infrastructure investment, with major road rehabilitation projects, railway infrastructure and modernization of localities being implemented. Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea presented the achievements in the sector.


“Today we conclude a mandate that changed not just the maps of the country's infrastructure, but also the way the state responds to people's needs. The government embarked in 2021 on a mission both simple and difficult, to make normality possible. Normality meaning water at the tap, paved roads, safe transportation, clear construction rules. Normality also means that when a child goes to school, no matter where in the locality they are, they are completely safe. The presence of sidewalks in localities, road safety, these are elements of normality to which a lot of work has been done over these four years,” declared Vladimir Bolea.


The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that the interests of the citizen have always been at the center of the Government's actions, through the programs implemented by the Ministry of Infrastructure.


“We worked for them, we are yet to work for them, for the people's interests we developed projects. We tried to change the lives of citizens for the better through every project implemented in the villages and cities of the Republic of Moldova, through every road segment built,” the official stated.


Vladimir Bolea said that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development had the largest investment portfolio, and the scope of projects implemented by the institution is diverse.

Thus, under the European Village I Program, launched in 2022, defined as an unprecedented program of investments in the villages and cities of the Republic of Moldova, 495 local development projects were developed, and the funding amounted to 1.7 billion lei. The money was used for the construction or modernization of 837 kilometers of water networks in 124 localities, benefiting 160,000 citizens, construction of 180 kilometers of sewage in 53 localities for 129,000 people, construction of 435 kilometers of street lighting in 66 localities, making the roads much safer for 72,000 people in villages and cities.

At the same time, 197 public institutions, including schools, kindergartens, medical centers, libraries, were rehabilitated based on initiatives submitted by mayors. In total, based on the projects from European Village I better conditions benefited 438,000 inhabitants of our country.

Through the European Village Express Program, launched in 2023, 380 local projects were implemented, which allowed the construction of 173 kilometers of street lighting in 85 localities, 101 public institutions were rehabilitated, and access paths to kindergartens and schools were built. In total, 457,000 people benefit from better living conditions, education, and leisure. The total budget of the European Village Express Program was 139 million lei.

The second edition of the European Village Program, launched in 2023, included 887 projects, with a total value of 3.3 billion lei. The first 129 projects are already completed. 61 km of new water supply network was built in 16 localities for 14,000 new beneficiaries, sewage and public lighting networks, and 52 public institutions will be rehabilitated.

Through Europe is Near Program, launched this year, 220 road modernization projects are being implemented, with a total value of over one billion lei.


“We are talking about 177 km of local roads, 23 km of regional roads, 82 km of access paths and platforms, 386 beneficiary localities of these 220 projects, 1331 public institutions will be interconnected through these infrastructure objectives at the end of the initiatives' implementation. And most importantly, we are talking about 539,000 people living in these 368 localities. In many of them, roads that interconnect the locality on the inside are being built for the first time,” said Vladimir Bolea.


Also this year, the European Courtyard program was launched, dedicated to the rehabilitation of block courtyards in the city of Chișinău and its suburbs. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, some of the projects are already at the completion stage, and the program is to be extended in the future to other cities in the country.

Meanwhile, in the Road Fund, 433 million lei was allocated in 2022 for works throughout the Republic of Moldova. The resources were used for the repair and construction of roads and bridges in Chișinău, Bălți, Anenii Noi, Călărași, Cimișlia, Hâncești, Orhei, Ștefan Vodă, Ungheni. Another over 600 million lei was allocated to the Road Fund in 2023, and in 2024 the amount increased to 650 million lei.

Modernization of the Bălți-Fălești sector of the R16 road, construction of the Troița Nouă bypass road and the bypass road of Comrat city, reconstruction of the first sector of the Chișinău ring road, completion of rehabilitation sectors on the R1 Chișinău-Strășeni road, Bahmut-Ungheni sector, plus construction of the Bahmut bypass road, rehabilitation and modernization of the Comrat-Vulcănești sector, are just some of the multiple projects realized in the last four years.

To the resources allocated from the state budget for road modernization, in addition, is the financial support provided by external partners, with which several projects for the rehabilitation of the country's routes were implemented.

Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea noted progress also in the development of Chișinău International Airport, which, since returning under state management, has registered consistent growth in the number of airlines operating in our market, as well as the number of passengers transported. Meanwhile, the authorities plan to expand the airport terminal, to enable better conditions for passengers. Another goal is the modernization of Mărculești Airport, so that it can operate national and international passenger flights, as well as cargo transportation.

This year too, the construction of the Bridge of Flowers over the Prut River at Ungheni was launched, which is the first bridge built after more than 60 years. Meanwhile, feasibility studies for four other bridges over the Prut River have been initiated.

In the railway domain, important rail links have been relaunched: Basarabească–Berezino, Chișinău–Bucharest, Chișinău–Kiev, and the electrification of the Iași–Ungheni line has started, the first modern railway infrastructure of this type in the country's history that will connect Ungheni with Iași and Bucharest.


“This mandate was about actions, not promises. About roads that unite people, water, and sewage networks that bring health, bridges that bring communities closer, and rules that build safety,” concluded Vladimir Bolea.


Vladimir Bolea served as Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development in November 2024.