Road widening efforts on Calea Mosilor Street hampered by privatized portion

Efforts to enlarge a segment of Calea Mosilor Street in Chisinau have been interrupted after those in charge of the project found out that a portion of the street had been privatized under a 2003 decision of the City Council. Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca recalled at today's ordinary City Hall meeting that the street was supposed to add two more lanes to help enhance vehicle traffic, which is very busy in the area. Work stopped shortly after starting, when municipal officials came upon a portion of the street that is owned by a private filling station. “It's absurd that we have privatized roads in Chisinau and it's absurd that a man, whoever he may be, stops the City Hall's construction machines and opposes an effort that is made for the benefit of one million people living in this city”, fumed the Mayor. Deputy Mayor Nistor Grozavu said there are two possible ways out of this situation – the amicable one, in which the owner is offered an equally valued plot of land somewhere else; or the litigious one, in which the municipality challenges in court the City Council's decision. “We continue to negotiate with the owner and maybe we can come to an agreement, so that we can restart the work in a few days”, he said. Calea Mosilor is one of the 10 streets that are to be revamped under a common project between the Chisinau Municipality and Genesis International SRL.