Momaia tunnel passes fire safety tests ahead of 11 November exercise on A1

Fire safety tests on Wednesday

The fire safety systems of the Momaia tunnel were tested on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The tunnel sits on section 4 of the A1 Sibiu-Pitești motorway, between Tigveni and Curtea de Argeș. The tests were organised by the national road company CNAIR, with representatives of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) present, according to an ISU Argeș statement.

Systems checked

The checks covered the main installations meant to prevent and manage emergencies. These included the smoke extraction ventilation system, the pump room, and the hydrant niches, including a check of the pressure needed in the installations. Emergency pedestrian passages and passages for intervention vehicles and pedestrian evacuation were also inspected. The tunnel has two independent galleries with a combined length of about 1.35 kilometres (1,350 metres according to one report).

Next step: simulated fire on 11 November

CNAIR director Cristian Pistol announced the tests on Facebook and described the high-capacity ventilation as the key piece of equipment.

“Together with representatives of the ISU, tests of the high-capacity ventilation installation were carried out today, which must remove smoke from the galleries in case of fire.”

The preparations also covered a fire simulation exercise inside the tunnel, scheduled for 11 November 2026. Tunnel staff and intervention forces will take part in a simulation of a real event, and the plan of action and resources for the drill were reviewed during preparations. Pistol said a decision on opening road traffic through the tunnel would be taken depending on the test results.

Opening outlook

Section 4 runs 9.86 kilometres from Tigveni to Curtea de Argeș and was built by the Porr Construct and Porr Bau joint venture. Reports say the section is due to open to traffic during November 2026. No firm opening date has been set, because the exercise and the test results come first.