Attica Ring Road: four new motorway extensions in the pipeline

The concession for Attiki Odos is entering the countdown phase, with only 4 months remaining until the current contract is completed. However, it seems that a period of time will be needed to transition to the new concession by GEK TERNA. Last Friday, speaking at the 1st conference of TMΕDE, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Nikos Tachiaos, emphasized that there is no possibility of further extending the current contract.

What now seems to be considered a realistic scenario is to grant the operation only to the current concessionaire, with the revenue, as Mr. Tachiaos mentioned, directed to the state. Essentially, there will be a transitional period without a concession for Attiki Odos until the HRADF (Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund) competition is completed.

The next question is, when will the competition be completed? As everything indicates, it will take a few months until the urban highway of Athens changes hands and passes to GEK TERNA. As anticipated, a series of steps will need to be taken.

These steps include finalizing the financial mix for the road (i.e., the banks supporting GEK TERNA), submitting all the necessary documents, drafting the new concession contract, and getting it approved by the Court of Auditors.

Additionally, the road will need to be inspected meter by meter to ensure it is in the required condition before it can be handed over to the new concessionaire. This crucial step will take a considerable amount of time until the concession can finally change hands.

As it appears, the new concession contract will be activated in the early months of 2025. In the meantime, road users will not notice any difference. However, once the new concession period begins, they will see the toll fee decrease from the current €2.80 to €2.50, as stipulated in the new contract.

The projects and extensions

A significant portion of urban travel in the northern part of the Athens metropolitan area is facilitated by the use of Attiki Odos. Currently, traffic on this axis during peak hours shows significant signs of congestion, sparking intense discussions about the future of the road.

The first expected development is the extension of Kymis Avenue. Here, the well-known appeal by the Municipality of Iraklio, Attica, is scheduled for the upcoming November, so the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s tender is currently “frozen.

If the tender can ultimately proceed, possibly with changes, the project could be activated in 2025, with completion expected by the end of the current decade. Funding for the project is anticipated to be secured under the EU’s ESPA 2021-2027 program. It’s worth noting that the consortium TERNA-AKTOR-INTRAKAT has emerged victorious in the tender process.

If the tender can ultimately proceed, possibly with changes, the project could be activated in 2025, with completion expected by the end of the current decade. Funding for the project is anticipated to be secured under the EU’s ESPA 2021-2027 program. It’s worth noting that the consortium TERNA-AKTOR-INTRAKAT has emerged victorious in the tender process.

In the broader context of expansions, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure has opened the door to discussions about their implementation. He emphasized the significant role of private sector participation in these projects and revealed that in the upcoming period—likely after the summer—there will be legislative regulations concerning the issue of Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

Mr. Tachiaos discussed three expansions: towards Lavrio, towards Rafina, and towards Vouliagmeni Avenue (Hilioupolis Tunnel), as well as the new axis Elefsina-Oinofyta.

Proposals submitted last year have been dormant at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, but it appears that there will be movement on the matter in the coming period. According to information from ypodomes, a significant factor in these changes will be the state’s participation. Reducing the state’s involvement would greatly assist in the implementation of large-scale projects, especially as funding opportunities through the ESPA are continually decreasing.

Already in the latest ESPA (2021-2027), funding for road projects is extremely limited, with a total allocation of just 2.5 billion euros for transportation projects. Considering that only the Metro projects for Line 4 and the extension to Ilioupoli have budgets close to this amount, it becomes clear that available funds are severely constrained.

The cost for the three expansions theoretically reaches 1.5 billion euros, while approximately 500 million euros is allocated for the Elefsina-Oinofyta road. Mr. Tachiaos has also expressed the Ministry’s desire for this new axis to be integrated with a railway line, which would significantly expedite commercial routes from the Port of Piraeus and the Thrakomakedones area.

The fact that such discussions are opening up signifies a lot for Athens and its worsening traffic issues each year. The interventions made in previous years with the metro and Attiki Odos have already been surpassed, as experienced by Athenians and visitors alike.

Line 4, the extension to Ilioupoli, the initiation of new expansions, and the extensions of Attiki Odos, particularly the Hilioupolis Tunnel which is an intervention within the dense urban fabric, appear to be part of the new interventions aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city and improving commuting conditions.

For more details and the complete article in Greek, click here