The next 10 big infrastructure projects in the pipeline in Greece

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has ten major infrastructure projects, some at an earlier stage and others at a more mature stage, with the aim of further expanding the country’s transport infrastructure. These ten projects include road, rail and metro projects which have seen the light of day from time to time.

But what are these projects and at what stage are they? Which ones seem to be close to implementation and which ones are just now in orbit and will concern us in the future? The new ten future projects are as follows:

1. Extensions of Attiki Odos

2. Ioannina-Kakavia

3. Extension of Metro line 2 Anthoupoli-Agios Nikolaos

4. Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona

5. New railway line Kalambaka-Ioannina-Igoumenitsa

6. Undersea Link Lefkada-Etoloakarnania

7. Triple Scaramanga junction

8. Drama-Amphipolis Road Axis

9. Road Axis Thessaloniki-Edessa

10. New Eleonas Bus Terminal

Extensions of Attiki Odos

18 years have passed since Attiki Odos was completed and has been fully operational. So many years have passed that we have reached the level of a tender for the new concession period of the urban highway that runs through Attica. They are considered a 100% commercial project and are an attraction for domestic construction companies.

The conversation about the extensions has progressed and the extension of Kymi Avenue has already been tendered as a public project with the tender being at an advanced stage. Now, as a package, the extensions to Rafina, Lavrio and the Urban Tunnel of Ilioupoli are proceeding. This tender, independent of the existing axis, acts as a magnet for the major construction companies of the sector.

As for when it will come out will largely depend on the time of the elections as it will take time to mature, announce and complete a package estimated at over 1 billion euros.

Ioannina-Kakavia

Perhaps the most “wronged” section in the motorway network. Despite the fact that it could have been included in the concession of the Ionia Odos since 2007, this did not happen and of course the wise saying that goes “what you can do today do not postpone it for tomorrow” worked here in its entirety.

Years of fruitless efforts brought the project a breather away from being abandoned and being left as another mockup project. Finally, it seems that it is coming off and that an effort is being made, even with reduced features, to take the path of implementation.

An important element of the axis is the connection with neighboring Albania, but also the fact that it is part of the Adriatic Road, an axis that starts from Trieste and reaches our country through Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. When will the competition take place? When the project manages to get the green light from the Commission and can secure funding from the new NSRF 2021-2027.

Extension of Anthoupoli-Agios Nikolaos Metro line 2

Here it seems that we have an advanced project, perhaps the most advanced of all projects. According to recent statements by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Kostas Karamanlis, we are talking about announcing the project in the Autumn. It is the first extension of line 2 after 2013 when it was extended to Elliniko and Anthoupoli.

The project is worth 350 million euros and it includes 4 kilometers of the line and the stations PALATIANI, ILION, AGIOS NIKOLAOS. The financing of the project will come from the NSRF and the new O.P. Transport Infrastructure.

Pyrgos-Kalo Nero-Tsakona

This section had been lost from the construction radar for years due to the involvement in the Council of State about some kilometers in the area of ​​Caiaphas. However, the inclusion of this section (as well as Patras-Pyrgos) in the Olympia Odos concession contract gave new life to the project.

We should also mention that the two Regions of Peloponnese and Western Greece have this project as a priority on their agenda. It finishes the road circuit in the wider area and significantly improves road transport throughout the Peloponnese.

The cost of the project remains unknown and will be revealed when the studies initiated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance proceed. A difficult project, with little daily traffic, will be a challenge to fit in the queue for implementation. Out of a dozen of these projects, it is perhaps the most future-oriented.

New Railway Line Kalambaka-Ioannina-Igoumenitsa

The curse of the Greek railway is that almost since the time of Trikoupis it has not managed to grow. Not only did it not succeed, but in 2010, with the financial crisis, an important part of the regional network stopped working.

In recent years, efforts have been made to open up this network. Perhaps the most interesting case is that of the new railway line Kalambaka-Ioannina-Igoumenitsa. It will add 145 kilometers to the Greek network and will put the Region of Epirus on the railway map for the first time. Ioannina will turn into a major hub while the value of the port of Igoumenitsa will increase even more.

It is worth noting that, in terms of studies, the effort to implement the line had begun since the 2000s, but it did not progress further. The studies for the line are financed by CEF II with 15.5 million euros and it remains to be announced by OSE for the project to be implemented. A negative factor is the expected high cost of the project and its low performance in terms of freight and passengers.

Undersea Link Lefkada-Etoloakarnania

This project has been in and out of construction for years. Just yesterday the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Kostas Karamanlis, said that it is time to proceed with this project.

Its cost is not prohibitive since it is estimated at around 50-70 million euros and can be implemented with a concession contract. A big positive sign is the fact that the Aktio-Ambrakia axis is being completed while the access from Aktio and Vonitsa is also improving. Studies must be carried out here in order to see the project announced at some point in the future.

Scaramanga Triple Junction

The Scaramanga triple junction project is another example of a project that plays hide and seek with implementation and has been characterized in the past as a mockup project. 10 years ago it came very close to being announced (then through NSRF 2007-2013). Problems and legal entanglements brought the project to a standstill until the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications resurrected it a year ago.

Now the thing remaining is to resolve some issues related to the currently blind tunnel at the Skaramangas turn, to secure the financing and allow the project to proceed. The cost is not expected to exceed 60 million euros. It is a much-needed project to relieve Schistos and Athens Avenue, which are often blocked by traffic by the inadequacy of the road network in the area.

Drama-Amphipolis Road

The project is a breath away before the auction with the method of Public-Private Partnership. It concerns the upgrading of the Drama-Amphipoli National Road, either by restoring and widening sections of the existing road or by constructing completely new sections along the section from Paliokomi to Mavrolefki, and from Mavrolefki to Drama with a total length of 43 km.

The duration of the contract is estimated to be probably 27 years with the first 3-4 years being the construction period. The cost of the project reaches 275 million euros and it is estimated that it will once again arouse the interest of the construction industry.

Thessaloniki-Edessa Road

The same applies to the Thessaloniki-Edessa axis. The announcement of the tender is awaited. The road axis, with a total length of approximately 80 km, today includes sections with insufficient configuration, large longitudinal gradients, insufficient road sections, poor visibility, and very often passes through cities. The cost is estimated at around 400 million euros.

These are two projects that bring the BIG 5 of constructions on course to claiming them.

New Eleonas KTEL Bus Terminal

It is clearly the mockup project of the last 25 years. It was in the implementation plans as an …Olympic project that ultimately never happened. Since then it has been announced many times but each time it also took a plunge into obscurity.

Now we are in a period that again the whole thing seems to be moving but does not seem to be finalized. As long as it can reach the final step and be announced, the concession method will be preferred which will give Athens a modern KTEL terminal in the area of Eleonas that will resemble an airport. Its cost is estimated to exceed 100 million euros.