In an exciting mega-project, Europe is set to build an amazing 786-mile motorway, connecting five European nations and Türkiye. The project will take several years to complete at a cost of more than €39 billion ($44 billion). The project was announced earlier this year and aim to connect northeastern European countries with southeastern nations via a series of motorways and other roads.

Mega-motorway to be built in Europe

This exciting new motorway will allow travelers to drive from the Baltic region to the Aegean Sea. Currently, this isn’t possible due to a lack of interconnecting roads and motorways. Dubbed ABC+De, the road project will connect the following countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Türkiye.

A Bulgarian company, Large Infrastructure Projects, is in charge of the motorway project, which has a budget of €39 billion ($44 billion). In their announcement, the company said the motorway project will take some five to eight years to complete, although a fixed timeline isn’t currently available.

Meanwhile, besides the countries mentioned above, plans are to also extend the road network to Cyprus and the Scandinavian countries.

Motorway project in competition with Sino-Russian expansion

Besides the obvious benefits of the European mega-motorway, there is also an element of competition. With the Sino-Russian expansion in China and China, Soviet relationship, the ABC+De project aims to mirror that initiative by connecting countries. Moreover, the new road network will also offer dual benefits for NATO and the EU.

However, the project will also boost tourism in the connected countries, while encouraging travelers to visit less-known areas of Europe. Moreover, the Express notes that it will also boost the economy of areas currently less benefited by tourism.

Roads to the lesser-known areas of Europe will make it easier for tourists to visit, which also removes hurdles currently in place to visit the more remote regions. The Bulgarian company also hopes that economic integrations will result in the easier movement of goods between borders of the countries involved in the project. Basically, the project will improve the economy of the individual countries.

New mega-motorway to cut journey time by three weeks

The current Suez-Baltica route is lengthy and indirect and it is hoped that the ABC+De project will reduce driving time by some 3,100 miles, meaning that drivers will be able to make the same journey three weeks earlier than before. Moreover, the mega-motorway will improve driving infrastructure in the individual countries and further encourage other infrastructural work.

ADN Bulgaria (The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria) is further exploring how infrastructure innovation can help to improve global security, democratic governance and international relations. A spokesperson said:

The project involves the construction of two cargo ports – one off the Aegean Sea in Greece, near Alexandroupolis, and another on the Baltic Sea in Poland, between Gransk and Kaliningrad.

Moreover, the countries will, in total, be connected by a motorway, high-speed rail, fiber optics, 5G and the “accompanying logistics and infrastructure elements.”

Furthermore, it is hoped that the new mega-project will work towards unity, economic resilience and regional growth in the region.