Greece’s crucial infrastructure projects to be completed by 2020

The country’s so-called “post-Olympic” projects are gradually being completed. If we looked 10 years back, we would realize that all major projects, currently under implementation, were either in their planning stage or had just started.

Their release started only in 2016 to culminate in 2020 with the operation of a considerable number of important infrastructure that will transform the country. Some of those projects started between 2011-2013 while some others in the last three years (2014-2016).

Motorways

The highlights for 2016 were the release of Moreas Motorway in Peloponnese, the Museum of Contemporerary Art and the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in Athens. 2017 will mark the completion of the country’s new motorway network (in the end of March) when, Ionian, Olympia, E65 and the last sections of Aegean Motorways, are set to become operational.

Moreover, 5 more vertical axes of Egnatia Motorway are currently under completion: Ardanio-Ormenio, Siatista-Kristallopigi, Thessaloniki-Promachonas, Thessaloniki-Kassandria and Komotini-Borders.

Railway

On the “railway front”, 5 major projects are also almost completed: Double railway track installation between Kiato and Eghio, Tithorea-Lianokladi section upgrades, Thriassio Pedio (logistics center), the electrification of the railway line between Athens Central and Piraeus and the new signaling system’s installation for Athens-Thessaloniki-Promachonas corridor. Eghio-Psathopirgos is under completion as well, though, a new tender for the line’s electrification will be needed for the project’s operation.

Energy

The country’s leading energy projects set to be completed in 2017 would be the electrical interconnection of Cyclades’ islandic complex with the continental electricity grid and the 2^nd upgrade of Revithoussa LNG Terminal Station which includes the construction of a 3^rd LNG reservoir that will increase the station’s total storage capacity to 225k m³.

The near future

The following years have in store even more project releases, starting from 2018 and most important of which being the completion of the electrification and signaling systems between Lianokladi and Domokos, that will conclude the upgrade works on Athens-Thessaloniki corridor, as well as the completion of Polykastro-Idomeni upgrade works on Thessaloniki-Idomeni corridor. Tram extension to Piraeus is also expected to operate next year, improving the local transportation conditions.

“Makedonia” Airport upgrade works, in Thessaloniki, which have started back in 2006 (these do not concern Fraport’s planned renovations) and Piraeus’ Pier 3 are expected to finish and operate respectively in 2018.

2019 will be a year of patience as just a handful of projects will be released. That would be the three first stations of Athens Metro Line 3 extension to Piraeus, Ptolemaida V (Lignite Power Plant), Kozani University’s new campus and the upgrade works in Ighoumenitsa’s Port.

2020 will be a milestone year as it will signify the long-desired operation of Thessaloniki Metro’s, Main Line between New Railway Station and Nea Elvetia, Patrikios-Mikra branch and the remaining section of Line 3 extension in Athens (Nikea-Municipal Theatre).

With regard to the Greek railways, Kiato-Eghio and Eghio-Psathopirgos are also expected to be released. Psathopirgos-Rio will be in an advanced stage concerning its infrastructure construction progress, with its superstructure and electrification works still pending as a new tender will have to be arranged.

Energy-wise, another huge project of strategic importance for the country and the region, that will operate at the dawn of the next decade, will be TAP, the Trans-Adriatic natural gas pipeline.

The restoration of Faleron Bay in the southern suburbs of the capital and the operation of Amvrakia Road in Western Greece are another 2 projects that will also contribute to the country’s infrastructure transformation; a transformation that will, hopefully, halt and reverse the prolonged recession while it created new development prospects. Hospitals, dams, urban areas’ redevelopments and various environmental projects complete the complex puzzle of the emerging, new infrastructure.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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