The proposal for a new Pyrgos – Tsakona motorway in Western Greece gains support

The Messinia MP of New Democracy, Giannis Lambropoulos, submitted a report to the Parliament regarding the need to upgrade the Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona road section to a highway.

In his report, the MP states that there was a meeting of associations of Messinia and Ilia on June 5 to form a common front to claim the implementation of the Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona project.

As Mr. Lambropoulos notes, it is inconceivable in 2022 that human lives are endangered every day on a road that characterizes him as “carmaniola” meaning an accident blackspot. He claims that hundreds of innocent human souls have been lost and that it endangers the safety and physical integrity of the citizens.

Regarding the use of the axis, he talks about a road on which the trade of the Peloponnese is served by road, the distribution of agricultural products as well as the exports from the Port of Patras and Igoumenitsa, while thousands of visitors pass through it serving intra-regional movements. Finally, the ports of Kalamata, Kyparissia, Kyllini and Katakolo are connected through it, as well as the airports of Kalamata and Araxon.

At the same time it is part of the Western axis, the southern end of the so-called Adriatic road that starts from Trieste and through Croatia, Montenegro and Albania ends in Greece where it starts from Kakavia, reaches Antirrio and continues to Rio, Patras, Pyrgos to end up in Kalamata.

The usefulness of the axis is also noted as it connects the highways of Olympia Odos and Morea.

By a joint resolution, which was sent to the Parliament, to the office of the Prime Minister, to the Speaker of Parliament and to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, etc. it is asked for action to be taken and for schedule commitments.

Olympia Odos

It should be noted that the road section Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona is now part of the concession of Olympia Odos as well as the section under construction Patra-Pyrgos.

The problematic part remains the Pyrgos-Kalo Nero section, which has been blocked by a decision of the Council of State as the route was passing through areas designated as Natura.

At the same time, another obstacle in the construction of this road is the relatively limited flows. Since 2015, the European Commission has set stricter criteria in approving the construction of highways in Greece and one of them is the daily flow of vehicles that exceeds 15,000 daily vehicles.

In any case, we are talking about a road with a long history as it was part of Olympia Odos from 2008 to 2013 when the entire western part from Patras to Tsakona was removed by concession.