Roads in Moldova

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Map of Moldovan roads. Red represents magistral roads, purple represents republican roads, and yellow represents local roads Drumurile Republicii Moldova.jpg
Map of Moldovan roads. Red represents magistral roads, purple represents republican roads, and yellow represents local roads

Currently, there are three defined types of public roads in the Republic of Moldova: [1]

Contents

In total, Moldova has a total length of 10,680 kilometres (6,636 mi) of road. From those, 3,668 km (2,279 mi) are national roads and 7,012 km (4,357 mi) are local roads. [2] The general maximum speed limit on public roads is 90 km/h (55 mph), while a speed limit of 50 km/h (30 mph) is imposed inside localities.

Its current road network is inherited from the former Soviet Union (the Moldavian SSR).

Vignette

Moldova is the only country which requires use of vignettes (roviniete) on all public roads, inside and outside localities, as a form of road tolling for all non-Moldovan vehicles. Vignettes are available for purchase at border crossing points, with 2023 prices from €4 for a week up to €180 for a year. Drivers caught without a valid vignette are charged with cash fines starting from MDL 5,000 (€231). [3]

Motorways

Moldova road sign 5.2.svg

As of 2021, there are no segments of motorway (Romanian : Autostradă) that are officially open. The first motorway-class road in Moldova is planned to be the Chișinău - Cimișlia motorway, which is to be assigned "M3". Works on what could be the first motorway began in the 80s (under Soviet rule), but began to slow down after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, stopping in 1996 with the Chișinău - Porumbrei segment (32 km or 20 mi) open only on one carriageway. Works on what could eventually become the first motorway in Moldova resumed in 2019. [4]

Thus, it can be said that Moldova has de facto 32 km (20 mi) of motorway in service, but de jure the Chișinău - Porumbrei segment does not count as a motorway, with plans calling for the Chișinău - Cimișlia road to receive motorway status only after works are finished. [4]

In 2018, a second motorway route in Moldova (Ungheni - Chișinău - border with Ukraine toward Odesa) was proposed as a continuation of Romania's A8 motorway to the east (est.100 km or 62 mi long), and thus of the future motorway corridor IașiCluj-NapocaBudapestViennaMunich. [5] In 2021, it had been proposed by the IDEP that the motorway segment between Chișinău and the Romanian border become a "national priority" for Moldova. [6]

National roads

National roads in Moldova are divided into two categories: magistral roads (Romanian : Drumuri magistrale) and republican roads (Romanian : Drumuri republicane). [1] Magistral roads mainly serve as connections to road networks of neighboring countries, those of Romania and Ukraine. Republican roads serve as connections between places in Moldova, but may also reach the border. [1] All magistral roads start or pass through the capital city of Chișinău, with the exception of the M4. [7]

M1 highway

The M1 approaching the Romanian border, near Leuseni. E581, Leuseni, Moldova - panoramio.jpg
The M1 approaching the Romanian border, near Leușeni.
The M3 between Razeni and Porumbrei. M3, Moldova - panoramio (34).jpg
The M3 between Răzeni and Porumbrei.
The M5 near Negresti, at the intersection with local road L443. M14 - L443 crossroads - panoramio.jpg
The M5 near Negrești, at the intersection with local road L443.

The M1 crosses Moldova on the west - east reference, linking the border with Ukraine at Dubău to the Romanian border at Leușeni, Hîncești towards Bucharest and further Romanian cities, also passing through Chișinău and Dubăsari.

With a total length of 154 km (96 mi), modern-day M1 comprises 97 km (60 mi) between the Romanian border and Chișinău, to which are added 60 km (37 mi) of the former M21 highway towards the Ukrainian border, M21 having been merged into the M1. [7]

M2 highway

The M2 is one of the magistral roads that link Chișinău to the border with Ukraine. The road, which is 185 km (115 mi) long, passes through Orhei and Soroca before reaching the border at Cosăuți. There's currently no bridge over the Dniester river in the area, with this gap covered by a ferry. Work on building a 1,400m dual carriageway bridge is scheduled for 2025. [8]

M3 highway

The M3 serves as a connection between Chișinău and the Moldova–Romania border; this time towards the proposed Lower Danube metropolitan area (which includes the Romanian cities of Galați and Brăila) via the autonomous territory of Gagauzia. The main cities crossed by the road include Cimișlia, Comrat and Vulcănești, ending near the tripoint of Moldova and its two surrounding countries at Giurgiulești. It is 217 km (135 mi) long.

Future plans call for the Chișinău - Cimișlia section to become a motorway-class road, the first motorway in Moldova. [4]

M4 highway

The M4 is the only road that doesn't start or pass through Chișinău and of which all segments are in the control of the Transnistrian government. The road forms the backbone of the Transnistrian road network as it links all the main cities located in the territory: Tiraspol, Dubăsari and Rîbnița, with its northern terminus at the border with Ukraine. It is 178 km (111 mi) long.

M5 highway

The M5 (M14 CIS) is the longest Moldovan road, at 370 km (230 mi), crossing Moldova on the north - south reference. It passes through the three most populous Moldovan cities (Chișinău, Bălți and Tiraspol), as well as Edineț. [7]

The designation "M14" dates back to the era of the Soviet Union. The Soviet M14 highway served as a link between the present-day border with Poland at Brest (Byelorussian SSR) and the city of Odesa (Ukrainian SSR) on the Black Sea coast. [9] After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the designation of the former M14 was retained on the Moldovan section, while the sections in Ukraine and Belarus have gotten new designations. It was later renamed to M5.

List

Some intersections between Moldovan trunk roads use interchanges, like here at the M2-R14 junction. This is common in former Soviet states. Telenesti District, Moldova - panoramio (34).jpg
Some intersections between Moldovan trunk roads use interchanges, like here at the M2-R14 junction. This is common in former Soviet states.
List of magistral roads [7]
NumberRouteLength
kmmi
MDA M1.svg M 1 Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg DubăsariChișinăuLeușeni Romania BAB-Grenze.svg 15496
MDA M2.svg M 2 ChișinăuOrheiSoroca Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 15596
MDA M2.1.svg M 2.1 AB-Kreuz-rot.svg M2 – Cosăuți 3.52.2
MDA M3.svg M 3 ChișinăuCimișliaComratVulcănești Romania BAB-Grenze.svg 217135
MDA M3.1.svg M 3.1 AB-Kreuz-rot.svg M3 – Comrat East4.32.7
MDA M4.svg M 4 TiraspolDubăsariRîbnițaHristovaia Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 178111
MDA M5.svg M 5 Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg EdinețBălțiChișinăuTiraspol Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 370230
Total1,082672
List of republican roads [7]
NumberRouteLength
kmmi
MDA R1.svg R 1 ChișinăuStrășeniCălărașiUngheni Romania BAB-Grenze.svg 11873
MDA R2.svg R 2 ChișinăuTighina 6037
MDA R3.svg R 3 ChișinăuHînceștiCimișlia Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 9861
MDA R4.svg R 4 ChișinăuCriuleniDubăsari 3220
MDA R5.svg R 5 ChișinăuDorotcaia 3220
MDA R6.svg R 6 IaloveniDumbrava 63.7
MDA R7.svg R 7 Romania BAB-Grenze.svg RîșcaniDrochiaSoroca 10163
MDA R8.svg R 8 EdinețCorbuOtaci Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 5534
MDA R9.svg R 9 OtaciSoroca 4025
MDA R10.svg R 10 RuseniOcnița 1912
MDA R11.svg R 11 BriceniOcnița 3522
MDA R12.svg R 12 Bălți AirportDrochiaCorbu 6339
MDA R13.svg R 13 BălțiFloreștiRîbnița 5232
MDA R14.svg R 14 BălțiSîngereiSărătenii Vechi 6641
MDA R15.svg R 15 BălțiGlodeni 3019
MDA R16.svg R 16 BălțiFăleștiSculeni Romania BAB-Grenze.svg 4930
MDA R17.svg R 17 FăleștiPîrlița 3220
MDA R18.svg R 18 SîngereiFlorești 4528
MDA R19.svg R 19 PohoarnaSănătăuca 3119
MDA R20.svg R 20 CălărașiOrheiRîbnița 11471
MDA R21.svg R 21 RăciulaHîrjauca 116.8
MDA R22.svg R 22 MeleșeniTeleneștiRatuș 2918
MDA R23.svg R 23 IvanceaCriuleni 3421
MDA R24.svg R 24 StrășeniCăpriana 116.8
MDA R25.svg R 25 BucovățNisporeniBărboieni 4629
MDA R26.svg R 26 CimișliaCăușeniBenderTiraspol 10364
MDA R27.svg R 27 TiraspolCorotnaPervomaisc 4930
MDA R28.svg R 28 HlinaiaRăscăieții Noi 1811
MDA R29.svg R 29 RăzeniBender 5836
MDA R30.svg R 30 ChetrosuCăușeniȘtefan Vodă Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 9559
MDA R31.svg R 31 Căușeni Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 1811
MDA R32.svg R 32 ChetrosuSălcuța 5132
MDA R33.svg R 33 HînceștiLăpușnaLeușeni 3622
MDA R34.svg R 34 HînceștiCantemirCahulSlobozia Mare 168104
MDA R35.svg R 35 ComratBasarabeasca 2616
MDA R36.svg R 36 TaracliaBasarabeasca 6138
MDA R37.svg R 37 Ceadîr-LungaComratCantemir 8150
MDA R38.svg R 38 TaracliaCahulVulcănești 7245
MDA R40.svg R 40 BiruințaChetrosu 3119
MDA R41.svg R 41 RîșcaniGlodeni 1912
MDA R42.svg R 42 UngheniBărboieni 3321
MDA R44.svg R 44 CălărașiCiuciuleniHîncești 6540
MDA R45.svg R 45 EdinețPîrjota 2415
MDA R46.svg R 46 CuporaniIargara 106.2
MDA R47.svg R 47 CimișliaSărata Nouă 3924
MDA R49.svg R 49 Basarabeasca Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 42.5
MDA R50.svg R 50 DubăsariCriuleni 63.7
MDA R51.svg R 51 OtaciOcnița 2616
MDA R52.svg R 52 TudoraPalanca 148.7
MDA R53.svg R 53 GlodeniCobani 1912
MDA R54.svg R 54 CuniceaSoloneț 3019
MDA R55.svg R 55 Briceni Ukraine BAB-Grenze.svg 31.9
MDA R56.svg R 56 CantemirTartaul de Salcie 4830
MDA R57.svg R 57 FăleștiCostești 5937
MDA R59.svg R 59 BulboacaDelacău 2918
Total2,5041,556

Local roads

In Moldova, local roads mainly serve as links between district administrative centers and villages/communes located in the specific district, as well as between one village/commune and another. [1] They are maintained by the appropriate local authorities depending on their location, previously being maintained by the national state-owned company Administrația de Stat a Drumurilor (ASD) until 2017. Since then, the ASD solely maintains national roads, with the exception of those located in Transnistria. [2]

European routes

European routes (E-roads) passing through the Republic of Moldova: [7]

Transnistria

As an autonomous territory with limited recognition as an independent state, the authorities of Transnistria, which is internationally recognized as part of Moldova, have complete control of all road segments that pass through the breakaway territory. The M4 highway, which crosses Transnistria on the north–south reference, is in complete control of Transnistria, as well as parts of M1 and M5, and many segments of republican and local roads. The complete length of the Transnistrian road network totals 1,070 km (660 mi). [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Moldova</span> Demographics of country

Demographic features of the population of Republic of Moldova include distribution, ethnicity, languages, religious affiliation and other statistical data.

In 1995, the main means of transportation in Moldova were railways and a highway system. The major railway junctions are Chișinău, Bender, Ungheni, Ocnița, Bălți, and Basarabeasca. Primary external rail links connect the republic's network with Odesa on the Black Sea and with the Romanian cities of Iași and Galați; they also lead northward into Ukraine. Highways link Moldova's main cities and provide the chief means of transportation within the country, but roads are in poor repair. The country's major airport is in Chișinău.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transnistria</span> Unrecognised state in Eastern Europe

Transnistria or Pridnestrovie, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an internationally unrecognized state, recognized as part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Moldova–Ukraine border, as well as some land on the other side of the river's bank. Its capital and largest city is Tiraspol. Transnistria has been recognised only by two other unrecognised or partially recognised breakaway states: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Transnistria is officially designated by the Republic of Moldova as the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester or as Stînga Nistrului. In March 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution that defines the territory as under military occupation by Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative divisions of Moldova</span>

According to the Moldovan law on territorial administrative organisation, Moldova is divided administratively into the following administrative territorial units: districts, cities/towns and villages. The administrative territorial organization of Moldova is made on 2 levels:

  1. villages (communes), sectors and cities/towns (municipii) constitute the first level,
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubăsari</span> Place in Transnistria, Moldova

Dubăsari or Dubossary is a city in Transnistria, with a population of 23,650. Claimed by both the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, the city is under the latter's administration, and functions as the seat of the Dubăsari District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transnistria War</span> 1990–1992 conflict between Moldova and Russian-backed self-proclaimed Transnistria

The Transnistria War was an armed conflict that broke out on 2 November 1990 in Dubăsari between pro-Transnistria forces, including the Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and neo-Cossack units, which were supported by elements of the Russian 14th Army, and pro-Moldovan forces, including Moldovan troops and police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Transnistria</span> Aspect of history

This is the history of Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Moldovan–Ukrainian border, as well as some land on the other side of the river's bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romanian-language schools in Transnistria</span> Schools teaching in the Romanian language in Transnistria

The Romanian-language schools in Transnistria are subject to limitations by the government of Transnistria, an unrecognized breakaway region of Moldova since 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European route E58</span> Road in trans-European E-road network

European route E 58 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Vienna, Austria and ends in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. It is approximately 2,200 km (1,400 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian military presence in Transnistria</span> Russian forces present in the Moldovan region of Transnistria

Currently, the Russian Federation holds an unknown number of soldiers in Transnistria, an unrecognized breakaway state internationally recognized as part of Moldova. This Russian military presence dates back to 1992, when the 14th Guards Army intervened in the Transnistria War in support of the Transnistrian separatist forces. Following the end of the war, which ended in a Russian-backed Transnistrian victory and in the de facto independence of the region, the Russian forces stayed in a purportedly peacekeeping mission and reorganized in 1995 into the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF), currently guarding the Cobasna ammunition depot. Some other Russian soldiers also participate in the Joint Control Commission between Moldova, Russia and Transnistria since 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Transnistria</span> Overview of religion in Transnistria

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria) official statistics show that 91 percent of the Transnistrian population adhere to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, with 4 percent adhering to the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics are mainly located in Northern Transnistria, where a notable Polish minority is living.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Transnistria War</span> A chronological list of incidents related to the Transnistria War

This timeline of events is a chronological list of incidents and other notable occurrences related to the War of Transnistria, including events leading up to the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calea Ferată din Moldova</span> Railway company

Calea Ferată din Moldova is the sole railway operator in the Republic of Moldova, responsible for passenger and cargo transportation, as well as railway infrastructure maintenance within the country. The total length of the network managed by CFM is 1,232 kilometres (766 mi), of which 1,218 kilometres (757 mi) are 1,520 mm, and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) are 1,435 mm. The entire network is single track and is not electrified. It borders the Romanian railway network, with a 1,520 mm /1,435 mm break-of-gauge in the west, and the Ukrainian one in the east.

The M1 highway is a road in Moldova connecting the border with Ukraine near Dubău to the border with Romania at Leușeni, passing through Chișinău and Dubăsari. It is 154 km (96 mi) long and forms part of the European routes E58, E581 and E584.

The M3 highway is a partially built road in Moldova, which links Chișinău to the southern part of the country via Gagauzia. The road forms part of the European routes E87 and E584 and will have a total length of 217 km (135 mi) when completed. The road passes through Cimișlia and Comrat before reaching its southern terminus, at the border tripoint at Giurgiulești, where it connects with Romania's DN2B and Ukraine's M15 highway, respectively.

The M4 highway is a road in Transnistria, Moldova. It runs from the south to the north, being 178 km (111 mi) long, and links the Transnistrian capital of Tiraspol with Rîbnița via Dubăsari, reaching the border with Ukraine at Hristovaia, where it merges with the Ukrainian local road T0225. Running along the left bank of the Dniester for most of its length, it is the only road with magistral road status that does not start nor pass through the Moldovan capital of Chișinău.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M5 highway (Moldova)</span> Road in Moldova

The M5 highway, during Soviet period referred to as the M14, is the longest road in Moldova, with a length of 370 km (230 mi) running from the north to the south-east. Having national road status, it is also one of the most important routes as it provides access to the three largest cities of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders: Bălți, Chișinău and Tiraspol. It forms part of the European routes E58, E581 and E583 of the International E-road network.

The M21 highway was a road in Moldova, which linked Chișinău to the border with Ukraine near Dubău via Dubăsari. It was 60 km (37 mi) long, and formed part of the European route E584 of the International E-road network. Furthermore, it also shared a small segment with the E58 and E581 north-west of Chișinău.

Since 2018, there have been proposals for the building of a motorway in Moldova between Ungheni and Chișinău, and from there to the border with Ukraine towards Odesa, as an extension of the Romanian A8 motorway from its eastern terminus near Iași. The total cost of the project is 1 billion euro, for a total length estimated to be at around 220 km (140 mi). The motorway would serve as an extension to the future motorway corridor Iași–Cluj-Napoca–Budapest–Vienna–Munich.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Roads law no. 509/22.06.1995
  2. 1 2 3 Raportul 2020 asd.md
  3. "News on road tax in Moldova". Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "(VIDEO) Drumul care trebuia să fie prima autostradă din Moldova: aşa arată în prezent construcţia porţiunii Porumbrei-Cimişlia". piataauto.md.
  5. "Autostradă de 100 de km în Moldova! Subiectul a ajuns în agenda Parlamentului European și a Comisiei Europene". autoblog.md. 28 May 2019.
  6. "IDEP suggests making Chișinău-Ungheni highway national priority". IPN.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Google. "Map of Moldovan road network" (Map). Google Maps . Google.
  8. "Agreement signed for Ukraine-Moldova bridge". 14 June 2023.
  9. "Moldova - Road numbering systems". sites.google.com. Retrieved 5 March 2022.