Rehabilitation of Major Urban Public Transport Network Infrastructure

Context and Transport Network Analysis

The urban public transport network of Alba Iulia Municipality serves a population of approximately 74,000 inhabitants, operating a system of 12 bus routes covering the city's principal travel corridors. The diagnostic assessment of existing infrastructure revealed advanced deterioration of the carriageway along main routes, bus stops lacking minimum comfort amenities, and a technologically outdated traffic management system.

The technical project, with a total value of 117 million RON, was developed for the integral rehabilitation of infrastructure across an intervention area of approximately 95,000 sqm. Documentation was prepared in compliance with the municipality's urban mobility strategy and the accessibility requirements imposed by national and European legislation.

The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated the economic viability of the investment, with an internal rate of return exceeding the minimum threshold of 5% required by the funding programme.

Road Infrastructure Modernisation

The road infrastructure component encompasses the complete rehabilitation of the carriageway along the principal transport network routes, totalling 28 km of urban road. The road structure was redesigned to support axle loads specific to buses with a gross mass of up to 18 tonnes, with a projected service life of 20 years.

The 42 bus stops on the main network were modernised with shelters equipped with benches, LED lighting, and passenger information panels. Boarding platforms were raised to bus floor level, facilitating access for persons with reduced mobility and reducing dwell times.

The traffic management system was replaced with an integrated ITS (Intelligent Transport System) solution, including inductive detectors at intersections, surveillance cameras, and a traffic command and control centre.

Sustainability and Environmental Component

The project integrates sustainable urban drainage solutions across the entire rehabilitated network, including ecological swales, permeable paving on adjacent pavements, and retention basins at major intersections. Public lighting along the transport routes was integrally modernised with high energy-efficiency LED fixtures and crepuscular sensors.

The charging infrastructure for electric buses, comprising 6 rapid charging points strategically distributed across the network, supports the public transport fleet's transition to zero-emission vehicles. Air quality monitoring, through 8 sensors installed at principal stations, enables continuous assessment of the project's impact on the urban environment.

Projected results indicate a 20% reduction in PM2.5 fine particulate emissions within transport corridors and a 15% increase in public transport ridership within the first 3 years of operation.