EU funding secured for the Ionia Odos extension from Ioannina to the Greek – Albanian borders

In an announcement published yesterday afternoon, the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Nikos Papathanasis, revealed the inclusion of the extension of the Ionian Road in the EU-funded ESPA program, specifically the section between Ioannina and Kakavia.

Specifically, according to the relevant act issued by the General Secretariat for the Management of Sectoral Programs of the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund, and European Social Fund, the project “Extension of the Ionian Road, Section: Ioannina – Kakavia” is included in the sectoral program of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance “Transport 2021-2027,” with the Special Service for the Construction and Maintenance of Transport Infrastructure as the beneficiary and a budget of €289,257,632.88.

The project involves the construction of the road axis Ioannina – Kakavia, extending from the junction of the Ionian Road with the Egnatia (Egnatia Interchange) to Kakavia and the Greek-Albanian border, and includes two sub-sections:

Subsection 1: Ioannina – Kalpaki. Starting from the Egnatia Interchange and ending at the end of the Kalpaki Interchange, with a total length of 46.40 kilometers on a new alignment. This subsection includes six interchanges.

Subsection 2: Kalpaki – Kakavia. Starting from the end of the Kalpaki Interchange and extending to the Kakavia border station, with a total length of 23.11 kilometers, where the existing road will be upgraded. This subsection also includes six interchanges.

The act also includes all necessary supporting actions: land expropriations, relocation and restoration of utility networks and connections, as well as archaeological research and work.

Upon completion of the project, it is expected that issues of accessibility and connectivity for geographically isolated and hard-to-reach areas in the broader Ioannina Regional Unit will be addressed, such as:

• The burden on the city of Ioannina from heavy vehicle traffic and the through traffic entering the broader urban area of the city.
• The increased road safety risk due to the transition from a modern, high-speed, long highway like the Ionian Road to a semi-urban road network with at-grade intersections.
• The difficulty of accessing important service hubs in the broader Ioannina Regional Unit, such as the University Hospital of Ioannina for healthcare, the University of Ioannina for education, and the Industrial Zone for employment.

The anticipated benefits from the project’s implementation also include:

• Increased accessibility of the Ioannina Regional Unit to the rest of the country and key transportation hubs—e.g., the Port of Igoumenitsa—combined with the expected full operation of the Olympia Road, Egnatia Road, PATHE, and Central Greece E65 highways by 2029.
• Mitigating the decline in population by harnessing the previously untapped potential of local and regional development.
• Enhancing the historical, cultural, and religious capital of the Ioannina Regional Unit, resulting in increased domestic and international tourism.
• Boosting commercial and export activity through improved connectivity with the Western Balkans at the Kakavia border station.
• Enhancing the accessibility of goods, particularly in the Ioannina Industrial Zone (V.I.P.E.), resulting in reduced transportation times and improved management of the supply chain.
• Increasing regional GDP and employment in the Ioannina Regional Unit both during the construction phase and throughout the operation of the project.

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