The A0 motorway, also known as the Bucharest Motorway, is scheduled to be fully opened during this year, 2026, according to the contractual data available for ongoing road infrastructure projects. The complete opening of the high-speed ring around the capital is considered one of the most important road inaugurations planned at national level.

With a total length of approximately 100 kilometres, the A0 will surround both Bucharest itself and the existing ring road, offering a fast alternative for transit traffic that currently bypasses or crosses the metropolitan area. Once completed, the project is expected to significantly change how traffic flows around Romania’s largest city.

Why the A0 is one of the most important motorways in Romania

The year 2026 is expected to bring the opening of around 270 kilometres of motorways and express roads across Romania, based on current contractual timelines. Within this broader context, the Bucharest Motorway stands out due to its direct impact on traffic in and around the capital, an area that concentrates some of the highest traffic volumes in the country.

By closing the ring in its entirety, Bucharest will, for the first time, be completely encircled by a motorway. This development is expected to play a key role in diverting long-distance and freight traffic away from the city and from the existing ring road, which is often heavily congested.

How the A0 will connect Romania’s major motorways

The Bucharest Motorway will directly link the country’s main high-speed road corridors. The A0 will connect the A1 Bucharest–Pitești motorway, the A2 Bucharest–Constanța motorway and the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, allowing continuous motorway travel without entering the city.

These connections will enable long-distance routes between major regions such as Oltenia, Muntenia, Moldova and Dobrogea. By providing a continuous high-speed link around the capital, the A0 is expected to reduce travel times and ease pressure on urban and peri-urban road infrastructure.

Which sections are currently open and where work is still ongoing

At present, traffic is open on the southern semi-ring of the A0 motorway, between the A1 and A2 motorways. On the northern side of the ring, construction is continuing on several sections that will complete the high-speed loop around Bucharest.

Three separate sections are currently under construction on the northern alignment, covering the connections between the A1 motorway, DN1, the Afumați area, Cernica and the A2 motorway. Once these segments are opened, drivers will be able to travel on the full length of the Bucharest Motorway.

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What will change for traffic once the Bucharest motorway is fully opened

The full opening of the A0 motorway is expected to have a significant impact on traffic patterns around Bucharest. Transit traffic will benefit from a fast, continuous route around the city, without the need to use the existing ring road or heavily congested urban arteries.

By offering a complete high-speed bypass, the A0 is expected to contribute to smoother traffic flow, shorter travel times and a clearer separation between local and transit traffic. As a result, the Bucharest Motorway is regarded as one of the key road infrastructure projects scheduled for completion in 2026, with relevance not only at local level but across the national transport network.