News
“Automagistral-Pivden” has successfully completed its scope of work as part of the construction of a 6.5-kilometer section of a new motorway between the cities of Oradea and Cluj-Napoca in Romania. Once again, we have demonstrated our master proficiency in executing large-scale earthworks.
Key Figures:
Topsoil stripping — 89,000 m³
Excavation — 128,000 m³
Embankment filling — 586,000 m³
Base layer installation (ballast/crushed stone) — 203,000 m³
Slope filling with black soil — 14,000 m³
A defining feature of this new construction project was the use of local soils with insufficient bearing capacity. Consequently, this required extensive cement stabilization, with almost every successive layer of the road base needing treatment. The total volume of stabilization reached 510,000 m³.
More than 100 of our employees worked on-site, utilizing over 50 pieces of heavy machinery, including 25 dump trucks, 5 excavators, 5 bulldozers, 8 soil compactors, 2 motor graders, 2 soil stabilizers (recyclers), and 2 cement spreaders.
The project team is already preparing to launch construction on the first section (33.7 km) of the Arad–Oradea expressway. This route is part of the strategic European corridor Via Carpathia, which will provide a road link connecting the Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean seas. The start of works is scheduled for the spring of 2027.
Project Background:In the autumn of 2025, “Automagistral-Pivden” joined the construction of a new 28.55-kilometer expressway on the route between Budapest and Bucharest. The contract value exceeds €150 million. The project is being implemented by the Romanian partners of “Automagistral-Pivden,” with our company being responsible for executing the comprehensive earthworks package on the 6.5-kilometer section.
We are protecting a vital highway between two major population centers from drones. The frontline is a few dozen kilometers away — a distance that FPV drones now easily cover. The territory is classified as a zone of possible hostilities (ZPH).
Taking into account the experience of the last, highly challenging winter, all load-bearing elements have been reinforced. More powerful pipes and wire are being used. Although they are harder to work with, this guarantees that the system will withstand any weather anomaly.
Anti-drone protection masts are installed every 8 meters. The supports consist of two profile pipes: one measuring 80×4 mm with a length of 1.5 m, and another measuring 60×3 mm with a length of 7 m.
Installation stages:
Marking out the perimeter. Driving the first pipe into the ground using a pile-driving machine. Raising, mounting, and securely fixing the second pipe. Driving anchors into the roadside at 4-meter intervals and connecting them to the top of the mast with guy wires. Connecting the tops of adjacent masts with steel wire to form a single, rigid structure over the road.
The masts must be visible to drivers in the dark. Therefore, after completing the main works, we attach reflective tape to the supports.On an 11.4 km section, we need to install nearly 3,000 anti-drone protection masts and cover them with netting. The area is dangerous, and the crew is moving at a fast pace, but we guarantee the quality of our work.
A modern highway is much more than just a layer of asphalt. It is a highly complex technological and engineering structure. Any failure to follow the required technology at any stage can lead to major problems in the future – problems that are extremely costly and difficult to fix.
That is why quality control is an essential part of every construction process. Our laboratory specialists are constantly present on site, taking samples and carefully checking the compliance of every layer of the road structure with the required standards.
We are launching a series of publications dedicated to the work of our quality control team during the construction of the final section of the N-31 highway, Dnipro – Tsarychanka – Kobeliaky – Reshetylivka.
Story One: Sand
Every day, 7,000–8,000 cubic metres of sand are delivered to the site and placed in the road embankment. One of the laboratory’s key tasks is to verify the quality of its compaction.
Any insufficiently compacted void in a sand layer can eventually lead to failure of the road foundation and deformation of the entire roadway.
Sand is tested using two methods:
Cutting Ring
A metal cylindrical ring of known volume is driven into the compacted sand layer. It is then carefully excavated, and the excess sand is trimmed level with the edges of the ring.
The samples are delivered to the laboratory, where they are weighed and dried. The dry density of the material is then compared with the specified requirements.
For each sand layer over a 500–600 metre section, more than 100 samples are typically taken and delivered to the laboratory.
Dynamic Plate
A circular metal plate is placed on the levelled sand surface. A rod with a movable weight is attached to the plate. An electronic sensor (accelerometer) records the settlement of the plate under impact, while the device calculates the dynamic deformation modulus.
These two methods measure different parameters.
The cutting ring determines physical density – how many grams of dry sand are contained in one cubic centimetre.
The dynamic plate determines mechanical stiffness – how many millimetres the foundation settles under impact.
At the same time, approximate correlation tables exist for these parameters for sandy soils. This means that the dynamic plate makes it possible to carry out rapid operational quality control of the sand layer directly on site.
And now to the most sensitive question: how often does our quality control team detect inadequate compaction?
According to our specialists, such cases may occasionally occur at the beginning of the works. However, as construction progresses, they become increasingly rare.
The quality control team is a tool that helps identify mistakes in time – and, most importantly, prevent them from happening again.
The implementation of our new project in Moldova has gradually reached full scale. The number of machines on site has been increased to 151, with 283 workers currently involved in the project.
Works are being carried out on one of the two lanes, while traffic on the other lane is organised under a temporary traffic management scheme. To minimise congestion, the length of each active work section is limited to 500–600 metres.
There are currently almost 20 such work sections, with a combined length of 10 km.
All types of works are underway – from milling and construction of drainage layers to the placement of the lower asphalt concrete layer.
As with any major road project, R-34 has its own specific features. In this case, they are related to the second pavement structure type.
The reconstruction project provides for two types of pavement structures.
1. Type 1 – complete replacement of the pavement structure:
milling; removal of the existing road base; soil stabilisation with cement (M-20); construction of two crushed-stone drainage layers (0–63 mm); construction using cold recycling technology of a cement-treated crushed-stone mix (35%) with the addition of reclaimed milled material (65%); construction of two asphalt concrete layers (6 cm and 4 cm).2. Type 2 – combined pavement structure
This option involves partial replacement of the pavement structure and is applied where the bearing capacity of the existing base meets the required standards. In this case, the existing pavement is milled, while the underlying base is retained.
The second type includes:
a 20 cm crushed-stone layer (0–63 mm); a cement-treated mix incorporating milled material; two asphalt concrete layers.A completely new pavement structure of Type 1 is constructed only on the road shoulders, as the carriageway itself needs to be widened to meet the required standards.
However, once milling is carried out, it becomes clear that the existing base is not always in satisfactory condition. This requires amendments to the design documentation, which involves a specific approval procedure.
In addition, the actual need to relocate local utility networks differs significantly from what was originally anticipated.
Despite these challenges, the project is progressing rapidly.
PROJECT INFORMATION
In August 2025, Automagistral-Pivden and Moldova’s National Road Administration signed a contract for the reconstruction of a 42-km section of the R-34 road leading to the port of Giurgiulești. The section runs between the cities of Cahul and Cantemir along the border with Romania.
Read more about the project
In many locations, the R-34 shows significant deterioration not only of the pavement but also of the underlying road structure. Road markings and safety barriers are missing. Travelling along the road is therefore not only uncomfortable but also unsafe.
The reconstruction of the R-34 is important not only for the development of local communities, but also for improving logistics connections between Moldova and the EU.
The project includes:
widening the road and reconstructing the pavement, upgrading intersections and access roads to agricultural land and residential properties; construction of 6 bridges; construction of sidewalks, lighting, safety barriers, drainage systems and utilities, among other works.A few figures illustrate the scale of the project:
more than 500,000 m³ of earthworks; more than 375,000 m² of cold recycling; more than 100,000 tonnes of asphalt concrete to be used for the new pavement.
The military warns us of the danger. Operators of the paver and rollers, drivers and road workers leave their machinery and move to the nearest tree line.
ZALA is the “eyes” of the Lancet strike drones. Half an hour passes. The military gives the all-clear, and work can resume.
The road is protected by anti-drone nets, while electronic warfare systems are operating nearby. But the enemy is capable of bypassing them. A company vehicle destroyed recently is proof of that.
The paving continues. We mill the old pavement, lay the levelling course, and then the top asphalt concrete layer.
The work is constantly interrupted. Everyone takes cover. Then we return to work. And so it goes every day. There has not been a single uninterrupted shift in the past month.
We finish restoring one section of a frontline road and move on to another. Almost all frontline roads have been destroyed by heavy military traffic, leaving many of them in critical, virtually impassable condition.
Leaving construction machinery at the site is too dangerous. So every day we transport it there from rear-area bases. In the afternoon, we load it onto low-bed trailers and take it back.
Transporting people and machinery dozens of kilometres, together with constant work stoppages, creates enormous additional costs that are not reimbursed. A frontline site in Dnipropetrovsk region or a safer site in Lviv region – the payment criteria remain the same.
And recently, it is not only the additional costs that have gone uncompensated. Payments themselves have effectively been frozen.
So why does the company keep going?
Any vehicle travelling on a destroyed road is an easy target for russian drones. Abandoning road restoration means leaving the military without reliable logistics, supplies and rapid evacuation routes.
So, as long as the company retains the financial and technical capacity to carry out these difficult and dangerous tasks, we will continue to work.
Truck parking areas near the Rava-Ruska border crossing: the first 120-space facility has reached the first asphalt concrete layer!Long queues of trucks stretching for kilometres in front of border crossing points are a problem that has long required a solution. First and foremost, they increase the risk of road accidents and lead to significant littering along the roadside. They also accelerate pavement deterioration: when heavy trucks remain stationary or move slowly along the same section of road, especially during hot weather, permanent rutting can develop in the pavement.
That is why, alongside the rehabilitation of the M-09 road from Volia-Vysotska village to the Rava-Ruska border crossing, the project provides for the construction of two dedicated truck parking areas with 150 and 120 spaces.
The facilities are designed as fully equipped waiting areas for truck drivers, featuring modern lighting, information displays, and sanitary and welfare facilities.
At present, the company is primarily focusing on the construction of the first 120-space facility, which is 1.5 km long. Preparatory works are also underway at the second parking area.
Due to the high dynamic loads generated by heavy vehicles during manoeuvring, the project provides for a reinforced nine-layer pavement structure with a total thickness of more than 80 cm:
Geotextile material; Drainage sand layer – 20 cm; Geogrid; Crushed stone and sand mixture, Type C5 – 21 cm; Cement-stabilised crushed stone and sand mixture – 18 cm; Coarse-grained asphalt concrete – 10 cm; Reinforcing synthetic material; Fine-grained asphalt concrete – 6 cm; Fine-grained asphalt concrete – 5 cm.The geosynthetic material with a capillary barrier function prevents capillary moisture from rising from the underlying soil into the pavement structure.
The reinforcing material installed between the coarse-grained and fine-grained asphalt concrete layers will help prevent rutting caused by heavy traffic loads.
The first asphalt concrete layer has now been completed. We plan to complete the full pavement structure of this parking area during October.
The project is being implemented with the support of the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme and forms part of the EU–Ukraine Solidarity Lanes initiative.
The final stage of the construction of the Dnipro–Reshetylivka road is transforming the vast steppe landscapes of the Pryorillia region day by day. Sandy embankments are emerging along the alignment of the new road, with the structural layers of the future highway being built up step by step.
Pavement construction on the N-31 is progressing almost continuously. The Vögele Super 2100-3 asphalt paver moves to a section where the sandy embankment has already been completed and two layers of slag aggregate have been placed. The machinery then proceeds to construct the road layer by layer, starting with the base courses and followed by the asphalt pavement:
• a base course of crushed stone–sand mixture (CSSM);
• a cement-stabilized CSSM base;
• a base course;
• an binder course.
Once asphalt paving is completed on one section, the paving operation moves to the next.
The works are being carried out on sections between various structures, including interchanges, tunnels for special-purpose vehicles and other facilities.
Since the project resumed this year, more than 13 km of asphalt concrete pavement layers have already been constructed across both carriageways.
The cement-stabilized CSSM and asphalt concrete mixtures are supplied from the company’s production facilities, equipped with a MARINI TOP TOWER 3000 asphalt mixing plant with a capacity of 240 t/h and a MARINI coldFALT 400 mixing plant with a capacity of 400 t/h.
During paving operations, the flagship-class Vögele Super 2100-3 asphalt paver works in tandem with a Vögele MT 3000-2 (PowerFeeder) material feeder. This setup ensures a continuous supply of the asphalt mixture to the paver while preventing material segregation, temperature fluctuations and pavement defects. This approach delivers a consistently smooth road surface without construction joints or irregularities, while also significantly increasing paving productivity.
In addition to the asphalt paver and material feeder, the paving operation involves a full set of road rollers and several other units of specialised construction equipment.
Another important stage of the bridge reconstruction in Rava-Ruska has been completed. The new cast-in-place concrete deck slab has been installed, using 100 cubic metres of concrete.
The bridge now has a stronger, more modern and durable structure — and it’s also wider. The total width of the bridge crossing has increased from 14.3 metres to more than 17 metres.
The sidewalks have nearly doubled in width and are now 2.5 metres wide. A modern safety barrier system has also been installed to make pedestrian movement safer and more comfortable.
The reconstruction of the M-09 highway between Lviv and the Rava-Ruska–Hrebenne border crossing includes 10 bridge structures:
6 bridges, ranging from 18 to 24 metres in length, are being fully reconstructed with their structures completely replaced. 4 bridges are being replaced with reinforced-concrete culverts.Work has already been completed on 9 of the 10 structures, and traffic has been restored. All major works on the final bridge in Rava-Ruska are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
At the Vita-Poshtova Interchange on the M-05 Kyiv–Odesa highway, we have completed the construction of the lower asphalt concrete layer on the approaches.
This has allowed us to move on to the next stage of works:
• installation of the kerb along the retaining wall;
• installation of cornice blocks;
• construction of cast-in-place sidewalks.
The following works are also ongoing at the site:
• construction of cast-in-place sidewalks on the bridge deck – on the right-hand side, the works are nearly complete, while work on the left-hand side is ongoing;
• installation of the safety barrier system;
• construction of the drainage system.
Expansion joints have already been installed on the cast-in-place deck slab, and waterproofing of the cast-in-place sidewalks has been partially completed.
We are now preparing to waterproof the bridge deck carriageway and proceed with asphalt paving!
As a reminder: in summer 2025, our company completed the first stage of construction of the Vita-Poshtova Interchange – the underpass and the roundabout on the Boyarka side. Drivers can now safely make turns or U-turns towards Kyiv.Completion of the second part of the interchange – the U-turn “horseshoe” – will allow drivers travelling towards Kyiv to safely turn towards Boyarka.
N-31 “Dnipro – Tsarychanka – Kobeliaky – Reshetylivka”: 150 pieces of machinery are working daily to build the road embankment using 7,000–8,000 cubic metres of sand!The construction of the road embankment on the second stage of the project requires a huge volume of earth material. We started the works in May, and since then have already placed more than 800,000 cubic metres.Currently, 7,000–8,000 cubic metres of sand are delivered to the site every day. A massive production and logistics operation is running continuously at the construction site: 14 excavators and 10 bulldozers work in coordination to load, spread and grade the material. 120–130 dump trucks continuously transport the sand. Water trucks, rollers and other machinery are engaged in earthworks and the construction of access roads.The strength of Automagistral-Pivden lies in its ability to efficiently organise, control and maintain the uninterrupted operation of this large-scale logistics chain!
