A significant infrastructural milestone is set to transform transport and trade in Southeast Europe: the planned highway connection between Bucharest, Romania, and Thessaloniki, Greece. This vital road will form part of a broader modern transport corridor linking the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, enhancing economic, strategic, and tourism ties across Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.
The highway is an integral element of a multimodal transport corridor recently advanced through trilateral cooperation between Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. The partners plan to formalise a binding agreement in November 2025 to synchronise road and rail development projects that connect Bucharest directly to Thessaloniki via Bulgaria.
This corridor will complement existing routes and significantly shorten travel times, benefiting freight, passenger traffic, and military mobility in the region.
Economic and Tourism Impact
The corridor, by providing a direct highway link, is expected to stimulate trade between Central and Southeastern Europe and improve access to major seaports like the Romanian Constanța and Greek Thessaloniki ports. It will also enhance tourism flows, making travel between Bucharest and key Greek destinations smoother and faster. The project aligns with objectives to boost regional development, strengthen supply chains, and integrate transport infrastructure within the European Union framework.
EU Support and Funding
European Union funding paired with national investments is earmarked to support the construction and modernisation of this highway axis. Infrastructure experts from the three countries are scheduled to meet for technical sessions and joint project planning, aiming to submit detailed proposals to the European Commission by the end of the year. The road will provide a modern and efficient route enabling faster, safer transit while supporting strategic military logistics.
While some segments of the corridor, such as Romania’s highway network expansions and Bulgaria’s expressway sections, are already underway or completed, the comprehensive connection between Bucharest and Thessaloniki marks a new chapter for regional connectivity. The project also intersects with broader initiatives like Via Carpathia, a transnational highway network under construction linking Lithuania to Greece through Romania.
Travel time between Bucharest and Thessaloniki currently exceeds eight hours by road. Still, the new highway corridor will drastically shorten and make journeys more convenient, boosting both business and leisure travel.
This development heralds a new era of integrated transport infrastructure across Southeast Europe, promising substantial economic, social, and security benefits for Romania and its neighbours.
