New Olympia Odos motorway extension from Patra to Pyrgos reaches 70% completion

The construction progress of the Patras-Pyrgos highway is expected to reach and possibly exceed 70% by December. According to information from ypodomes.com, the works are estimated to surpass 70% completion by the end of the year, despite the fact that this year’s winter has been particularly rainy, often slowing down the pace of construction.

With the remaining 30% expected to be completed within 2025, the question now is when the new highway corridor will be fully operational. What is particularly interesting is that 2025 will definitively mark the year when the region of Ilia will welcome the operation of a closed motorway for the first time.

According to progress data, TERNA is leading the way, having reached 86% completion on the Gastouni-Pyrgos section. AKTOR has made a strong rebound, with the Karaiika-Gastouni section now at 64.5% completion, while on the first section, Mintilogli-Karaiika, managed by AVAX, progress has reached 63%.

Regarding the roadbed construction (the preparation of the motorway surface), more than 50 out of the total 75 kilometers have been completed, covering approximately two-thirds of the project.

From this statistic, it is estimated that roughly half—around 25 kilometers—of the asphalt paving has been completed. Specifically, in TERNA’s section, only 3-4 kilometers remain to be finished. Sources close to the project estimate that by Easter, 85% of the work will be completed, marking the start of the final countdown to opening the motorway to traffic.

The Road to Completion

By 2025, the road is expected to be operational. This will mark the completion of the largest road infrastructure project by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which is also one of its flagship initiatives. Contractually, the Kato Achaia-Pyrgos section is set to be operational by March 18, with the remaining segment from Mintilogli to Kato Achaia expected to follow a few months later.

This milestone might not be achieved on time, but it seems likely to be met by the summer. Although not yet finalized, if the completion of approximately 55-56 kilometers is just a few months behind the first challenging section—where the existing corridor is being widened—we might see it open to traffic within that timeframe.

In the first section, the major challenge lies in the simultaneous execution of traffic and construction work, making daily progress understandably more difficult.

The full operation of the Patras-Pyrgos motorway appears to be heading for completion in October or November 2025, closing a 20-year chapter of efforts to bring the project to fruition. For now, it remains undecided whether the motorway will be delivered in phases or all at once.

With the operation of the Patras-Pyrgos motorway, the Olympia Odos will expand by 75 kilometers, reaching a total of 285 kilometers. The connection of the existing corridor to the new motorway will be made at Mintilogli, where the closed motorway currently ends, after the large bypass around Patras.

The fortunate aspect of the Patras-Pyrgos project is that for the past two years, construction has been progressing without the intense pressure caused by the frequent traffic accidents on the Patras-Pyrgos national road.

With the implementation and completion of the road safety project, traffic accidents, especially fatalities, have decreased significantly, resulting in reduced pressure to finish the project.

Once the new motorway is operational, the distance between Patras and Pyrgos will be noticeably shortened to just over 35 minutes, saving more than 40 minutes of demanding driving time.

The most important aspect, however, is that travelers will be driving on a closed motorway with two lanes and a hard shoulder (ΛΕΑ) in each direction, ensuring the highest levels of road safety, which are the standard for motorways in the country.

The distance from Athens to Pyrgos will be achievable in under 3 hours, changing the dynamics of both passenger and freight road transport in the region.

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