Safe Haven: A Container Terminal for Constanța
Infrastructure
All clear at the port of Constanța: PORR has built a container terminal in Romania in just 25 months. Project manager Laurențiu explains the challenges they faced and the solutions they found. And what he is particularly proud of.
What has PORR builtin the port of Constanța?
A multimodal terminal with a 120,000 m² port platform, including technical ancillary buildings, fencing, external utility networks, all connections and site landscaping in Development Zone D, MOL II S, Constanța South Port. A technically challenging construction project of great logistical significance, which we carried out entirely with our own team. We required the support of just a few subcontractors for the highly specialised electrical work.
What significancedoes the port hold for Romania?
It is a strategic hub on the Black Sea. The new container terminal enables fast, seamless freight transport by rail and road. This will see Constanța play a more prominent role in key European logistics routes. The investment is significant for economic development. The handling volume is expected to increase by around 340,000 tonnes per year.
Why was this projectso interesting to you?
Carrying out complex infrastructure projects is what motivates me. After the completion of the Arad bypass in the west, I moved to Constanța in the south-east. I took on new challenges. And there were plenty of them.
What wasthe biggest challenge?
Quite simply: the ground. We were dealing with uncontrolled fill and difficult, varied soil conditions. Almost every metre of ground was different. We knew there was no one-size-fits-all solution here. To prepare the site for its intended use, we needed bespoke solutions.
How did yousort that out?
Using innovative construction methods, extensive experience and a strong team spirit. The scale of the ground improvement work was enormous. We used concrete grouting across around 60% of the area, supplemented by micropiles with a diameter of 600 mm and depths of up to 11 m. It was only through our extensive ground stabilisation measures that we were able to meet the technical specifications. The new platform, comprising stabilised soil, a gravel base and a concrete wearing course, ensures the required load-bearing capacity of 11 tonnes per metre. This is a crucial prerequisite for rail and heavy goods traffic.
What are youparticularly proud of?
After 25 months of intensive construction work, we successfully completed the project at the end of 2025. We transformed 12 hectares of unused land with extremely challenging ground conditions into a state-of-the-art, multimodal port facility. We are particularly proud to have achieved all this using our own resources – drawing on our in-house expertise, our colleagues on site, our machinery and, above all, our passion and dedication. As a team, we still often talk about how the ground presented us with new challenges every single day. And how the satisfaction we feel at what we have achieved together surpasses everything else.
