Holdea Super-Tunnel Breakthrough Marks New Record on Romania’s A1 Motorway

On 18 September the Holdea tunnel, the longest road tunnel ever constructed in Romania, was successfully breached, signaling a major milestone for the A1 Lugoj-Deva motorway. The tunnel, known locally as the “Super-Tunnel,” comprises two parallel galleries each equipped with two traffic lanes, an emergency lane and pedestrian walkways, and will surpass the Transfăgărășan tunnel’s five-decade record. According to the regional road authority, the excavation has entered its final metres and the subsequent stages—lining, waterproofing, reinforcement and final concrete work—are now in progress.

The broader Margina-Holdea section, which also includes a shorter “Holdea Small” tunnel and a kilometre-long viaduct, is moving toward completion in the first half of 2027, completing the missing link of the A1 between Sibiu and the Hungarian border. Once opened, the new segment will eliminate a current 14-kilometre detour on the DN68A route, improving travel times and connectivity across western Romania.