The 30 largest auctions for new-generation infrastructure projects to come out in 2019

The new year brings us 30 major auctions, along with the hope that contracts for all these projects will be signed shortly after allowing the initiation of their construction period. At this stage, we are witnessing great movement in terms of auctions. Ypodomes.com has made a list with the largest ones that will come out in early 2019.

The first is, of course, the mega-auction for the new Athens Line 4 at a cost of 1.8bn euros (incl. VAT). The second one concerns Northern Crete’s Motorway Axis (aka VOAK) between Chania and Neapoli with 1.45bn euros, followed by Salamina Underwater Road Tunnel with 400m euros (estimated).

The top-10 is completed by major projects such as Patra-Pyrgos Motorway (with 6 out of 8 contracts heading for signing), the new cruise pier at the port of Piraeus (169m euros), Amvrakia Motorway “sweep” contract that will conclude pending construction works on the axis, Onassis National Transplant Center (100m euros), Thessaloniki Freight Center (100m euros), electrification of Kiato-Rododafni railway line (83m euros) and the construction of Pallini (Attica Region) sewage networks with 72m euros.

The next ten comprise electrification works on Paleoparsalos-Kalambaka railway section (54m euros), 8 schools in Chania (Crete island) that will be implemented as PPP projects (50m euros), precursory works of Athens Metro Line 4 (48m euros), Amari Waste Treatment Plant (49m euros), flood defence works for Eratinos torrent (48m euros), Ilia Waste Treatment Plant  in Western Greece (39m euros), the completion of Intechange 16 of Thessaloniki Ring Road (38m euros), Democritus University of Thrace new building construction (38m euros), the construction of Sykeona Bypass in Thessaly (33m euros) and the Waste Treatment Plant in Alexandroupolis (35m euros).

The last group of projects includes the improvement of Drosia-Dionysos-Nea Makri road (33m euros), the installation of signalling systems on Thessaloniki Metro’s Kalamaria Line (27m euros), the construction of sewage networks in Glyka Nera area of Attica Region (27m euros), the new building of the University of Thessaly, the reconstruction of Niarchos Street in Ioannina (25m euros), the new Town Hall of Aghia Paraskevi (21m euros), the restoration of the port of Kos (25m), the construction of seweage networks in Ioannina (25m) and the new gym facilities in the Municipality of Nea Smyrni (21m). Last but not least, completing today’s top-30, is the electrification project of Isthmos – Loutraki section (with 15m euros).

Most of these projects are expected to be contracted in the first quarter of 2019, while some others until the Summer. Naturally, all of the above infrastructure projects will function as “advertisements” by local politicians for the upcoming regional and general elections, thus accelerating their “maturation”. It is noted that there is a large concentration of projects, the vast majority of which, have secured NSRF funding while there also some PPPs.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com