The Vidraru Dam (Barajul Vidraru) is a large concrete arch dam on the Argeș River in the mountains of Argeș County, carrying the Transfăgărășan across its crest. Completed in 1966, the dam rises about 166 meters above the valley and forms Lake Vidraru behind it.
Construction began in 1960 as part of a major hydroelectric development on the Argeș River. The narrow gorge allowed engineers to use a double-curvature arch design, transferring the enormous pressure of the reservoir into the surrounding rock. Around 480,000 cubic meters of concrete were used to create a structure roughly 305 meters long across the crest, 25 meters thick at the base and only about 6 meters thick at the top. At the time of completion, Vidraru ranked among the highest arch dams in Europe.
The dam supplies the underground Vidraru Hydroelectric Power Station, whose generating hall is built deep inside the mountain. Its four turbines provide a combined installed capacity of 220 MW, while the wider water-management system also supports irrigation, water supply and flood control downstream.
The Transfăgărășan crosses directly over the top of the dam, giving visitors a close view of the curved concrete wall and the reservoir on one side, while the Argeș gorge drops sharply away on the other. The contrast between the narrow crest and the height of the structure becomes especially clear when walking across rather than simply driving over it.
Above the dam stands the Prometheus Statue, a large monument overlooking the reservoir and one of the most recognizable landmarks at Vidraru.
