4 big infrastructure projects in Greece set to be completed within the next 18 months

The timeline for major projects of the Ministry of Infrastructure was presented during yesterday’s press briefing by its political leadership. The Minister of Infrastructure, Christos Staikouras, provided detailed updates on the developments in the sector, marking one year since he took office, while the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Nikos Tachiaos, offered clarifications and information about these projects.

In the major infrastructure projects currently underway in Greece, we can expect project completions over the next 1.5 years. More specifically, as mentioned yesterday:

• This coming November, the main line of the Thessaloniki Metro, from the New Railway Station to Nea Elvetia (13 stations), will be delivered for commercial operation.
• In the summer of 2025, the extension of the Olympia Odos, in the Patra-Pyrgos section, will be delivered. The works are almost 50% complete and it is estimated that by the end of the year they will reach 75%.
• In the second half of 2025, the first extension of the Thessaloniki Metro to Kalamaria will be completed. This line will include 5 stations (25th Martiou-Mikra).
• Efforts are being made to complete and deliver the northern section of the E65 highway from Kalampaka to Kipoureio Grevenon by the end of 2025 (connecting to the Egnatia Odos).

Meanwhile, in ongoing projects, there are new developments. Work is progressing on the Bralos-Amfissa road, the Flyover of the Thessaloniki Ring Road, and the two sections of the VOAK (Chersonissos-Neapolis-Agios Nikolaos), while the tender process for the main section of Chania-Chersonissos is also nearing completion.

Progress on Line 4 of the Athens Metro is advancing with specific issues, as the schedule has been deemed ambitious. Construction sites have been set up at approximately 7 stations, and preliminary work continues. The first tunnel boring machine from Katechaki station will reach Evangelismos by late 2025, and the second from Alsos Veikou is expected to reach its destination by mid-2026.

Also underway are the tenders for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) of the Ministry of Infrastructure, along with the financing processes for projects such as the Courthouses. The project for the new building of the General Secretariat of Infrastructure on Piraeus Street is progressing towards completion.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport, and Networks is currently examining the issue of traffic in Attica, as traffic conditions continue to worsen. Focus is on the Eleusis-Oinofyta axis and the Hymettus Tunnel, while legislative measures are being introduced for Standardized Proposals to facilitate relevant tenders through concession or PPP methods.

The concession changes for the Attiki Odos and the Egnatia Odos are currently underway. Efforts are being made to adhere to the schedule so that both major projects can be delivered to GEK TERNA by 2025, following their success in the respective tenders.

The severe weather caused by Storm Daniel and the resulting damages in Central Greece have led to significant changes in the planning of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport, and Networks. Today, projects totaling 1.4 billion euros are being expedited, split into 900 million euros for road projects and 460 million euros for railway projects. The ministry’s objective is to have contractors appointed for these projects by early September.

The ministry operates based on securing financing from all available sources. The Public Investment Programme has seen a significant increase of approximately 500 million euros annually, while it pursues over 1 billion euros from the CEF II for projects currently lacking funding, primarily in railways. The ESIF 2021-2027 for Transport has funds of around 2.2 billion euros allocated, and the ministry also includes the Environment-Climate Change programme, which already incorporates several projects.

In the upcoming period, it is estimated that significant projects totaling 600 million euros will be signed. These include the expansion of the Ionian Highway in the Ioannina-Kakavia section, the Tsiknia Dam in Lesvos, the water supply project for Arta-Preveza-Aitoloakarnania-Lefkada, and land improvement works in Aitoloakarnania.

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