Olympia Odos Motorway: Patra to Pyrgos extension set for 2025 completion

After many years of waiting, and approximately three years since the start of construction, the Patras-Pyrgos highway is expected to become a reality and be operational this year. The 75 new kilometers of closed highway connecting the capital of Achaea with the capital of Elis will close a chapter marked by difficult conditions, setbacks, anxiety for the local community, and ultimately redemption with the completion of the project.

As 2024 comes to a close, the progress of the project has reached 70%, although this winter has proven to be more challenging than last year’s. Frequent rainfalls and storms are indeed an obstacle to the progress of the works, but starting this year, we are entering a countdown that, barring any unforeseen events, will lead us to the completion and operation of the project.

Two points are significant in this process. The first is the decision on whether the entire highway will be operational, meaning from Midilogli to Pyrgos, or if it will be opened in sections. Although it has been stated that opening it all at once is the best option to avoid temporary connections with the local network, on the other hand, if there is a significant delay in completing the most challenging section, the first one in the Achaia region, it is not unlikely that we will see a phased operation.

The second point is the completion time of the three contracts. TERNA, in the section from Gastouni to Pyrgos, has nearly completed the contract, reaching nearly 90% progress (up from 86% in December), and it seems that, weather permitting, they will likely achieve the goal by March. The AKTOR contract for the section from Karaaika to Gastouni is also progressing with great speed, having reached two-thirds of the work, and if they continue at this pace, it is likely that we will see it nearing completion by the end of spring.

As it appears, the critical point is whether, once these two contracts are completed, there will be a significant time difference in completing the third and most demanding contract. It is demanding because, in the first contract of AVAX from Midilogli to Karaaika, the work primarily involves widening the existing alignment, meaning both construction and road operation are happening simultaneously. According to forecasts, this section, which is nearly two-thirds complete, is expected to be finished by the end of the year. Here, we will need to see if any decision is made regarding the phased or full operation of the highway.

The continuation and the great benefits

The completion of the Patras-Pyrgos highway closes a long-standing saga for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and creates the conditions to begin discussions on the final “orphan” section, Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona. The estimate that the project could cost up to 700 million euros presents significant challenges in pushing it forward for implementation, but it seems that there is movement toward a phased implementation of the project.

As stated in recent months, the most likely first sub-section to receive the green light (pending the identification of funding) is the Pyrgos-Alfeios section, spanning 13 km, which will connect to the Olympia Odos at Ancient Olympia. It is worth reminding that since the summer of 2022, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has instructed Olympia Odos to prepare the relevant studies for the section of the Pyrgos Entrance Interchange – Alfeios – Kalo Nero – Tsakona.

With the operation of the new highway, the distance from Patras to Pyrgos will be significantly reduced to just over 35 minutes, saving more than 40 minutes of demanding driving time. At the same time, the region of Elis will have, for the first time, a closed highway that will cross the majority of the area vertically.

The most important aspect, however, is that it will operate on a closed highway with two lanes and a hard shoulder in each direction of traffic, and the road safety standards will be the highest available, in line with those applied on the highways in the country.

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

A significant reduction in driving times will also be noticed by drivers south of Pyrgos, who will now have access to a closed highway not from Patras, but from the Pyrgos area.

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