Olympia and Ionian Motorways promote growth in Southern and Western Greece

Many times in the past, we have referred to the importance of the country’s motorway projects in the effort for sustainable growth. Vibrant examples for this are Olympia and the Ionian Motorways. These two new motorways, not only reduced distances and made road-travelling safer, but also triggered a new wave of development in their neighbouring areas.

Today Athens is just 3 hours and 40 minutes from Ioannina, while Patras less than 2 hours. The Greek-Albanian borders and Kakavia is just a matter of 5 hours when, just a few months ago, 7 hours of extremely dangerous and tiresome driving was needed. Today, roughly 400 km out of 465 km, concerning the aforementioned distance, are covered in a modern and safe motorway.

Other destinations in Western Greece and Epirus are also benefited considerably; Igoumenitsa is now just 4 hours drive from Athens while drastical reductions considering road trips to Corfu, Vonitsa-Preveza-Lefkada (3 hours and 40 minutes), Pyrgos-Killini (3 hours) and other, once remote touristic destinations, are a reality.

Tourism, logistics and road transportation in general have changed hugely, for the better, as the improved access that the new motorways have established transformed these sectors and created new possibilities. These important changes are expected to be even more apparent by next year, during the new network’s second year of operation. What remains to be recorded is their substantial impact on the agricultural and industrial sectors.

What is also extremely important is that these very positive effects concern areas of the country that are considered to be some of the poorest in the European Union, thus helping to boost employment at all levels.

The next day brings additional interventions for the road networks surrounding Olympia and Ionian Motorways with projects such as the construction of new vertical connections with Tzoumerka and Preveza and the Northern extension of the last to the Greek-Albanian borders and Kakavia, the completion of Aktio-Amvrakia axis and the Western extension of Olympia Motorway to Pyrgos.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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