The A2 motorway (), also known as The Motorway of the Sun (), is a motorway in Romania which links Bucharest with ConstanÃÂa, a city-port on the shore of the Black Sea, where it merges after an interchange into the A4 motorway. It is 206 km long, and has been operational on its entire length since November 2012.
The construction of the motorway between Bucharest and ConstanÃÂa began in the communist era during Nicolae CeauÃÂescu's regime. The first section, from FeteÃÂti to CernavodÃÂ (about 18 km), was opened on 21 November 1987, simultaneous to the new railway bridge and underwent a major rehabilitation in 2003. It crosses the Balta IalomiÃÂei island and includes the CernavodÃÂ Bridge complex system of motorway and railway bridges and viaducts over the Danube and one of its branches at CernavodÃÂ. The motorway bridge passes under the historical railway bridge built by Anghel Saligny in 1895, while the new railway in use today separates the motorway roadways.
After the fall of the communism in 1989, construction continued for a short period, but it was finally stopped in 1993 due to lack of financial resources. When it was completed, it differed from the original plans from the 70s. The original plan of the A2 motorway envisaged a route running northwards through Urziceni and Slobozia, while the current route of the motorway runs eastwards in a straight line towards FeteÃÂti. Construction continued after 1998, the motorway being completed in late 2012.
The sector from Bucharest to FeteÃÂti crosses the BÃÂrÃÂgan Plain and was built between 2001 and 2007. It was split into four sections. The first section from Bucharest to Fundulea (26.5 km) was built by the Romanian company Romis and is surfaced with concrete slabs. The second section from Fundulea to Lehliu (29.2 km) was built by a Turkish joint venture between Yuksel, Makimsar and Ener, while the third section from Lehliu to Drajna (41.6 km) was built by the French company Colas. The three sections were completed in 2004. The fourth, from Drajna to FeteÃÂti (36.8 km), was built by a joint venture between Astaldi, Max Bögl and CCCF, and was completed in 2007, receiving financial support from the ISPA funds.
The sector from Cernavodàto ConstanÃÂa (51.3 km) runs across the Dobruja Plateau and was built between 2009 and 2012, receiving financial resources from the European Union's Cohesion Fund and from the European Investment Bank. It was built by a joint venture between Astaldi and Max Bögl, and was completed in late 2012. The section from Cernavodàto Medgidia was initially awarded to the French company Colas, but the contract was terminated in April 2011, because of delays in the construction process. It was subsequently awarded to the new constructor in September 2011.
The total distance between Bucharest and ConstanÃÂa on the motorway is approximately 206 km. It includes a 3.8 km link segment at the eastern end, that was part of the construction contract for the A4 motorway, which serves as the ConstanÃÂa bypass. It has seven exits and ten rest areas on each carriageway, six being served by filling stations. There is one toll gate along the route, at FeteÃÂti (km 144), where a tax is charged for crossing the Danube bridges.
During summer, heavy traffic (maximum permissible weight over 7.5 t) is forbidden to drive on the motorway on weekends (including Friday) at daylight hours (from 6 A.M. to 12 A.M.).