A Romanian fast-food entrepreneur has funded a one-metre-long highway near the town of Suceava to protest against the absence of a modern road network in the northeast of the country.
Stefan Mandachi, the owner of Spartan, Romania’s biggest fast-food chain, spent €4,500 on the world’s shortest road scheme, which was built on a field between two monasteries in Putna and Voronet monasteries.
He said this was the first highway in the Moldova region, which is the country’s poorest.
Mandachi called on other business people and companies to join his protest, and to attend the official opening of the road, which he plans to hold on 15 March, marking the occasion by halting work at his 40 restaurants in Romania. Â
He has previously printed and distributed 3 million posters with the message "Romania wants motorways".
He also made a promotional video to explain his protest, which can be seen below.
CNAIR, Romanian’s state-owned public roads company, has promised to open 180km of new motorways this year, however a Romanian infrastructure watchdog Pro Infrastructura estimates that only 43km will be completed. Last year, CNAIR aimed to complete 100km, but only succeeded finishing 60km.
Image: Stefan Mandachi speaking on his promotional YouTube video
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