Contract for part of one of Northern Greece’s biggest road projects signed

According to sources, the large road project to upgrade the vertical axis Drama-Kavala, one of the largest road projects in Northern Greece, has been signed. The contractor is the INTERKAT-TEKAL scheme with a discount rate of 14%. The contract signing ceremony took place at the offices of Egnatia Odos SA. in Thermi on October 24. It is yet another big project that the company is putting forward and in record time since the project’s tender.

Let us bear in mind that the competition started just 5 months ago, on June 23, and the bids were opened on the 30th of the same month. The Implementing Body and Contracting Authority is Egnatia Odos S.A. Let’s remember that at this time, at the level of tenders for large projects, there is still another project running for a section on the vertical Xanthi-Synora axis.

This year Egnatia Odos S.A. “stepped on it” as during the summer it delivered two projects that were long overdue for Thessaloniki. We are referring to the “orphan kilometer” of the Moudania-Potidaia axis, while the Thermi-Galatista axis has also been completed. At the same time, it completed three important competitions, one for the Kleisouras Tunnel and the second for the Drama-Kavala mentioned above and the third for the Provatona bypass which completes the vertical Ardano-Ormenio axis.

At the level of major road projects, Egnatia Odos still runs the road connection between the port of Thessaloniki and the country’s highway network. The project is expected to be completed in early 2024.

Drama-Kavala: The first section to be upgraded

In this contract, the object of the project is the upgrading of the Krinides-Stavros section, 8.2 km long. This section is connected to the existing national road “Drama – Kavala” west of the settlement of Krinides, and heads south – southeast ending on the old national road of Eleftheroupoli – Kavala west of the settlement of Stavros.

The cost of the project has been estimated at 60.76 million euros including VAT (49 million without VAT). The duration of the project was estimated at 30 months from the day of signing the contract. The project is financed by the Public Investment Program – co-financed part – as it is part of the NSRF 2014-2020 Operational Program “Eastern Macedonia & Thrace.

What is the vertical axis Drama-Kavala

The Vertical Axis “Serres – Drama – Kavala” (E-61) is part of the Greek Trans-European Road Network (Trans-European Axis 22 – Road network under design, Extended) and connects the Vertical Axis “Thessaloniki – Serres – Promahona” with Serres, Drama and Kavala and more widely with the Port of Kavala, ending at U/J Ag. Sylla on Egnatia Odos. The road section of E-61 from Drama to Kavala (section 61.5) is a new four-lane expressway with a cross-section of 17.0m along its longest length, which bypasses the settlements of Choristi, Agios Athanasios, Lydia, Krinides, Polystylo, Amygdaleonas and ends in U/J Ag. Sylla of Egnatia street.

What will be built?

In more detail, the construction concerns the road subsection “Agios Athanasios – Krinides” (61.5.2) from Km position. 5+879 to Km position 8+700.00 and the road subsection “Krinides – Ag. Syllas” (61.5.3) by Km. position. 0+000 (identifies with Km position. 8+700.00 of section 61.5.2) to Km position. 5+440, including the entry-exit branches in the artery of the Krinido and Stavros junctions, so that the section will be functional after its closure, connecting to the existing “Drama – Kavala” and “Eleftheroupolis – Kavala” national roads.