Transfagarasan is the road through the Fagaras Mountains, which starts in Bascov, Arges county and ends near Cartisoara, Sibiu county.
With a length of about 152 km, part of DN 7 C, the road connects the two historical provinces Muntenia and Transylvania.
Along this route various locations have been built offering accommodation at the highest standards and competitive price.
TRANSFAGARAGARASAN HISTORY
Most of us know that the idea of building a road over the Fagaras mountains belonged to Ceausescu. The reality is that there were sketches and plans made before 1960 which contained the details of a road through the Fagaras mountains. The project was abandoned because the budget at the time could not support such an expense, but the idea was revived after the Vidraru hydroelectric power station was completed.
After the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the issue of a strategic road was raised, but in the area of the Cernei and Mehedint mountains.
In this period, Nicolae Ceausescu discovered the initial plans and decided to build a single-lane road to ensure the collection of the wood mass of the Fagaras forests and a route between the south and the center of the country.
The works started in December 1969, from both ends from the south, the engineers of the 1st Ramnicu Valcea Regiment, and from the north those of the 52nd Alba Iulia Regiment. They were joined by civilian workers attracted in particular by the rather substantial salary at the time, about 6000 lei.
In 1971, Ceausescu changed the plans and the road became a two-lane national highway, and the Fagaras Mountains area was to become a winter sports resort with over 100 km of ski slopes, bobsleigh runs, ice rinks and hotels.
Projecto s-a impotmolit cause being the acute lack of funds or directing them to other works considered at that time of strict necessity. The road that wound along the Fagarasilor ridges swallowed money with a shovel.
In the southern part the road was built on the forest roads that already existed around the lake, and on the Caprei Valley there was a forest road about 10 km.
OPENING OF THE TRANSFAGARASAN
The works were supposed to be completed in 1973, but the unfavorable weather conditions and the weight of the route postponed the completion by 1 year.
The road was completed on September 20, 1974, with Ceausescu present at the inauguration. Initially, the alpine route was to bear his name, but he refused and so its name became Transfagarasan.
Asphalting of the road followed, which took 4 years, today’s route as we know it being completed in 1980.
The construction of the road also required human sacrifices, both military and civilian. Official data speak about 40 people who gave their lives for the construction of Transfagarasan.
In memory of them and of those who participated in the construction of the route, two monuments have been built: the Genistilor Gate (1200 meters above sea level) and the Meeting Gate (1600 meters above sea level).
THE ROAD ITSELF
We presented in the introduction that the Transfagarasan mountain route starts immediately after Pitesti municipality.
In fact, Transfagarasan, in most people’s acceptation, starts somewhere near Capataneni (DN 7C km 35), the last locality in Arges county situated on DN 7C and ends at its intersection with DN 1.
From Capataneni to Piscul Negru are 69 (DN 7C km 104) kilometers, from here to the tunnel (DN 7C km 116+300) are 12, 3 kilometers, the tunnel is 884 meters, and from the exit of the tunnel are 35 kilometers to DN 1. The total distance is thus 117, 184 kilometers.
The highest altitude at which the road reaches is 2042 meters (in the area of the Balea tunnel), being located after the Transalpina which has a maximum altitude of 2145 meters.
The road has 833 bridges and 28 viaducts.
TRANSFAGARASAN TUNNELS
With the beginning of the work on the route through the Fagaras mountains, one problem was the Paltinul mountain. So it was decided to dig a tunnel. The tunnel has a length of 884 meters, a width of 6 meters and a height of 4,40 meters being built at kilometer 116+360 in 1972, being the longest tunnel and the tunnel situated at the highest altitude in our country. In 1974, when it was inaugurated, a lighting installation, which no longer exists, was in operation.
On the Transfagarsan route there are 4 more tunnels:
- at km 57+465, a 15.95 meters long and 6 meters wide tunnel built in 1962;
- at km 57+600, a tunnel 51.47 meters long and 6.20 meters wide, built in 1962;
- at km 60+700, a tunnel with a length of 117.10 meters and a width of 6 meters, built in 1962;
- at km 61+400, a tunnel 97.89 meters long and 7.10 meters wide, built in 1962.
TRANSFAGARASAN IN FIGURES
Approximately 3 million tons of rock were dislocated in the construction of the road, using only a little over 6520 tons of TNT.
For the construction of the tunnel through the heart of Paltinul mountain, 20 tons of TNT were used, about 41 million cubic meters of rock were excavated and the following construction materials were used:
- 3573 tons of cement;
- 89 tons of steel concrete;
- 24 000 anchors;
- 129 tons of welded nets;
- 14 200 square meters of formwork;
- 1750 linear meters of concrete pipes;
- 4100 linear meters of pipe;
- 50 tons of metal confections;
- 6900 cubic meters of sand;
- 6000 cubic meters of gravel;
- 3000 tons of screenings;
- 740 lighting lamps.
TRANSFAGARASAN TODAY
Transfagarasan by its greatness and beauty has led to a strong economic development of the area. From this touristic perspective, the most developed places are the best known, such as the Vidraru dam and lake, Balea Lake, Balea Waterfall, Cumpana, Valea cu Pesti or more recently the Molivisu resort. Many hotels, cottages and guesthouses have been built in these spots.