Ionian Motorway: tender for the extension towards the Albanian borders is just a matter of time

With upgraded funding, the preparation of the tender for the extension of the Ionian Road, Ioannina-Kakavia, is proceeding. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, by its decision, included the project in the Sectoral Development Program 2021-2025 (SDP) with an amount of 402 million euros.

This amount is significantly higher than what was originally planned for the implementation of the road. The initial forecast for the cost ranged from 250-300 million euros. The reason is because it also includes costs beyond construction such as amounts for technical support and expropriations. Especially the Ioannina-Kalpaki section is in a new layout and significant expropriations will be needed there.

The inclusion of the project in the 2021-2025 TPA formally opened the door for the tendering of the project, which should now be expected day by day. The proposal to register in the Public Investment Program (PIP) will be made to enable the project to start tendering procedures as there is then the intention to include the project for funding in the NSRF 2021-2027.

Essentially, the coverage of the SDP is given as a springboard for the implementation of the competition and over time the procedures for inclusion in the NSRF will be initiated. This practice has also been applied to other projects under the responsibility of the ministry (such as the 6 railways worth 4 billion euros) as in this way time is saved since the tender and the finding of funding are running at the same time.

 A 70 km extension

The physical object of the project refers to the extension of the Ionia Odos in the Ioannina – Kakavia section, it includes the upgrading of the existing axis to a length of almost 70 kilometers reaching the border with Albania.

The project consists of the subsections:

A) From the Uneven Junction of Ionia Odos with Egnatia Odos to the end of the Uneven Junction of Kalpaki with a length of 46.5 km.

This section includes the design and construction of:

• 6 Uneven Nodes,
• 4 Bridges (lengths 560, 160, 40 and 160m),
• 5 Upper Passages and 25 Lower Passages,
• 1 Technical Cut&Cover length 140m. and
• Side road network 33.5 km

1. B) From the end of U/J Kalpaki to Kakavia, 23 km long.

This section includes the design and construction of:

• 6 Uneven Nodes
• 15.8 km collateral network
• 2 Upper Passages 7 Lower Passages
• 1 technical Cut&Cover length of 150 m.

The elections factor

The fact that we are a breath away from the start of the tender is the positive thing. The factor of elections and when they will be held is the one that will determine whether the tender will be held within the time of the current government or if it will “fall” on the elections and will necessarily be postponed until it can be held after the elections.