Ionian Motorway: the next steps for the new Ioannina – Greek Albanian borders motorway tender

The first critical period of the competition for the expansion of the Ionian Road with the new section Ioannina-Kakavia passed without any appeals. According to information from ypodomes.com, the ten-day period available for filing objections expired without any action taken by the participating entities.

This means that the next phase involves the procedural steps by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which will lead to the declaration of AVAX as the provisional contractor for the significant road project.

Note that the competition started on Thursday, December 21, 2023. As ypodomes.com had previously informed, AVAX submitted the lowest bid with 17.50%. Terna came in second with 16.5%, and the consortium DOMIKI Kritis-EKTER-ERETVO-TENA ranked third with 16.5%.

Following them were INTRAKAT-METKA with 11.08% and ODOS-INTERKAT-ERGODOMIKI VOIOTIAS-ERGOKAT with 10.31%.

The next steps

Regarding the Ioannina-Kakavia competition, the next steps involve declaring AVAX as the provisional contractor. At this stage, other participating entities may file appeals. If everything proceeds smoothly, all necessary documents will be requested from the engineering company, and the contract text will be prepared. Subsequently, it will undergo approval by the Court of Auditors, and after this stage, the project will be presented to the Hellenic Parliament. The final act of the competition will be signing the construction contract, giving substance to the project’s implementation.

If all the above proceed without delays, we might see the completion of the competitive process by the end of summer. With the commencement of the project, we will witness the first major road project in Epirus since 2017, when the Ionian Road was completed from Antirrio in Aetolia-Acarnania to near the entrance of the city of Ioannina, intersecting with the Egnatia Road.

The competition for Ioannina-Kakavia has literally weathered storms. In the 2000s, the project was intended to be part of the Ionian Road, but due to reactions, this specific section was excluded. It was later included in the ESPA 2007-2013 program but was removed in 2016 due to a lack of progress in procedures. After years of inactivity, the project reemerged in 2021 and was finally announced for competition in early 2023.

However, there were problems there as well, as the process was cancelled twice due to appeals from interested parties against the terms of the announcement. A third competition will be needed from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which has finally brought us to the present, with the hope that this project, with its long history, will finally progress towards implementation.

The project

The cost of the project, including VAT, is 310 million euros, with an additional 76 million euros allocated as optional expenses for the section Kalpaki-Kakavia and the connections to the airport and the Industrial Zone of Ioannina. The total cost amounts to 386 million euros. The project is overseen by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

In more detail, the project involves the construction of the section of the Ionian Motorway from its intersection with the Egnatia Road to Kakavia and the Greek-Albanian borders. The project includes two sub-sections:

-Subsection 1: Ioannina – Kalpaki. It starts from the end of the concession agreement (Chainage 4+800) and ends at the end of the Kalpaki Motorway (Chainage 51+237.37), with a total length of 46.4 km of new alignment. This subsection includes six (6) Interchange Nodes, among which Motorway K3 Passarono (Chainage 21+940 – Chainage 23+441) constitutes Optional Provision 1, with a length of 1.47 km.

-Subsection 2: Kalpaki – Kakavia. It starts from the end of Motorway Kalpaki (Chainage 51+237.37) and ends at the Kakavia border station (Chainage 74+349.66), totalling 23.11 km. The project includes the upgrade of the existing road, which constitutes Optional Provision 2.

The duration of the Ioannina-Kakavia project has been set at 54 months from the signing of the relevant contract. If the signatures are finalized by the summer of 2024, then, without factoring in any delays, the project could be completed by the end of 2028. With the Ioannina-Kakavia project, the Ionian Highway will be fully completed, serving as a vertical axis from Antirrio to the border crossing at Kakavia towards Albania.

The subject of the project

The Ionian Highway will expand with the Ioannina-Kakavia project. Specifically, the constructed works will include:

• Completion of the Interchange Node of Egnatia (K0).
• Construction of the expressway on the section “Motorway of Ionian Road with Egnatia Road to Motorway of Kalpaki” with a length of 46.4 km (Chainage 4+800 – Chainage 51+237.37), including the construction of six (6) Interchange Nodes:

Motorway Kosmiras – Asvestochori (K1), allows the servicing of the settlements Kosmiras, Asvestochori, and Kontsikas from the Ionian Motorway and has the configuration of a “diamond.”

Motorway Grammenochorion (K2). It will facilitate the connection of the settlements Kontsikas, Lofiskos, Petralona, Perati, Grammeno, Vageniti, and Polifos with the Ionian Motorway and has the configuration of a “diamond.”

Motorway Passaronos (K3) (Optional Provision 1) from Chainage 21+940 to Chainage 23+441, intended to serve the connection of the northern part of the Ionian Motorway with the airport, the Industrial Zone, and the urban complex of the city of Ioannina. Secondarily, it provides access to/from the Ionian Motorway to the western areas of the Ioannina region and the eastern areas of the Thesprotia region. It is a three-legged diamond interchange that is planned to be configured in the form of a “left-turn.”

Motorway Zitsa (K4) that will serve the connection of the settlements in the Zitsa municipality, as well as the settlements Petsali, Neochori, and Lapsista, with the Ionian Motorway. It has the configuration of a “diamond.”

Motorway Karyon (K5). It will facilitate the connection of the settlements of Karyon, Asfaka, and Petsali, as well as the settlements in Central Zagori, with the Ionian Motorway. It has the configuration of a “diamond.

Motorway Kalpakiou (K6). It ensures access to the Ionian Motorway for the area of Konitsa and, by extension, areas of Florina – Kastoria. It will also serve travel for tourism/recreation to Zagorochoria and the Vikos-Aoos National Park. The Motorway is configured as a two-level cloverleaf interchange, with the branches located in symmetrically opposite quadrants.

Restoration of the transverse and parallel network of local roads, where required. The complete construction of the road network is envisaged, including:

• Earthmoving works,
• Road construction and asphalt works,
• Construction of technical works (4 Bridges, 5 Overpasses, 25 Underpasses, 1 Cut & Cover, approximately 120 small technical structures – culverts – and 6 retaining walls),
• Drainage – drainage works, marking – securing,
•  Lighting of junctions, all bridges, underpasses, sections of the motorway, and parking areas,
• Telecommunication infrastructure,
•  Irrigation – planting works, and
• Landscaping works in the declared archaeological site of Votropou (including the construction of a shelter).

Beyond the Optional Provision 1 (Motorway K3 – Passaronos) that was mentioned earlier, the project includes, as an Optional Provision, the upgrade of the subsection Kalpaki – Kakavia, with a length of 23.11 km (Optional Provision 2), which includes:

• Vertical and lateral roads with a length of 15.8 km
• 4 new Underpasses
• 2 new Overpasses

The optional features

In the case of optional features in Ioannina-Kakavia, it is stipulated that they can be activated at any time within twenty-four (24) months from the signing of the Contract for this contract, while the completion time for the optional works will be the same as that of the main Contract.

As mentioned above, the right to options extends to an additional amount of up to €76,000,000.00, including VAT. In detail:

Option 1: Asymmetrical Interchange of Passaronos (K3). It will serve to connect the northern section of the Ionian Road with the airport, the industrial area, and the urban complex of the city of Ioannina. Secondarily, it provides access to/from the Ionian Road to the western areas of the Prefecture of Ioannina and the eastern areas of the Prefecture of Thesprotia. It is a three-legged asymmetrical interchange designed to take the form of a ‘left trumpet.

Option 2: Upgrading of the section Kalpaki – Kakavia, with a length of 23.11 km. The total budget is 66,000,000 € (including 24% VAT). It includes:

• Upgrade of the existing road and formation of a cross-section type B(2+1)n* over a length of 23.11 km.
• Vertical and lateral roads with a length of 15.8 km.
• 4 new Underpasses.
• 2 new Overpasses

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