Members of the 'Moldova Vrea Autostradă' Association drew attention on Saturday to the necessity of building the A8 highway by beating drums. MVA representatives hope that the event named 'Batem toba pentru Autostrada A8', held at Iaşi Unirii Square, will succeed in highlighting the urgency of promptly realizing the A8 highway, also known as the 'Unirii Highway'. This highway would connect Iaşi with the western part of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, passing through the city of Ungheni. 'This event carries a clear message to the authorities. The sound of the drums transmits the voice of the citizens who demand safer roads and modern infrastructure that meets the region's needs. It is one way for us as a civil organization to urge the authorities to commence the construction work as soon as possible,' said Flavius Manea, president of the 'Moldova Vrea Autostradă' Association.
Among those present at Unirii Square on Saturday was former prefect Nicuşor Păduraru, who is one of the founders of the association. He criticized the delay in starting the work on the 'Unirii Highway' due to the lack of adequate support for documentation at local and governmental levels, and the lack of strategic interest from governments over the past thirty years to develop Moldova. 'Infrastructure means development from every angle, and economic growth brings stability and reduces poverty,' he emphasized. Similarly, former transportation state secretary Adrian Covăsnianu, a founding member of MVA, highlighted the importance of such road infrastructure, which would connect the eastern and western parts of the country and promote the development of the Moldovan counties. 'Although the weather is not favorable, we want this event to reach Bucharest because A8 highway is needed in Moldova. We see that the bids for the mountain routes have still not been launched. We are waiting for the completion of the feasibility study for the Iaşi section. We hope that perhaps next year, we will receive clear signals regarding the construction of the highway. Let's look at where highways already exist, how quickly the economies have grown, how communities have developed, and how people have enjoyed a better quality of life,' Covăsnianu pointed out.
In addition to the interactive 'drum beating' moments, a signature collection campaign was also initiated to support the A8 highway, and dialogue points were set up where citizens could make suggestions for improving the region's road infrastructure.
