The inhabitants of Chirsova village of Comrat district threaten to block the road that connects Comrat and Ciumai because the repair works on it are almost half a year late, while the repaired sections are of a poor quality and endanger the lives of those using the road. Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Boris Gherasim has told IPN that the works were to be completed in April, but the contractor didn’t find the necessary materials.

On the website of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, it is said that as the works weren’t finished, about 55 km of the road are very dangerous and created situations of accident with casualties. Now that the school year started, the children are transported to school on this road and their lives are endangered.

Boris Gherasim said that he met with representatives of the company that is performing the works and was assured that the road will be repaired by this yearend. The company incurs penalties for the overdue works.

On April 25, 2012, the State Road Administration signed two contracts for the rehabilitation of two road sections between Comrat town and Ciumai village. The contractor PA&CO International SRL was chosen at a tender contest that involved 10 international companies. The value of the contracts was about €25 million. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development lent this money to Moldova for a period of 30 years, at an interest rate of 1% a year.

The works started in the summer of 2012. At the end of 2013, Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Vasile Botnari announced that a number of companies that didn’t fulfill their obligations to repair the roads will be fined. He didn’t specify the size of the fine, but said that these companies will reconstruct the road portions repaired badly at their won expense.