The new section of Olympia Road Patra – Pyrgos will be ready by 2025

The new section of Olympia Road Patra – Pyrgos will be ready by 2025, the opening ceremony for which was held last March by the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the political leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

The project is expected to bring Athens 40 minutes closer to the city that gave birth to the Olympic Games, as the journey from the capital to the Tower will now take 2 hours and 45 minutes.

At the same time, the project is expected to give a very important development impetus to the Western Peloponnese, but also to the Ionian Islands. The issue of traffic safety has been placed at the top of the project’s priorities, as it is characteristic that in the Elefsina-Patra section of the Olympia Road traffic accidents have decreased by 93% in recent years.

In autopsy carried out as part of a journalistic mission, the significant development of the works was noted, as the construction sites of the three construction companies that have undertaken the project (AVAX, AKTOR, TERNA), which have been set up along the 74.5 km of the Patras-Pyrgos.

As the president and managing director of Olympia Odou, Panagiotis Papanikolas, accompanied by representatives of the consortium and the contractors, told the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, “the project is progressing at a very satisfactory pace. In fact, in the last three months the projects have progressed five times faster than in previous years.”

Mr. Papanikolas described the difficulties, but also the progress of the works, stressing that “the construction is currently ahead of schedule”. As he explained, the project is carried out in two parts. The first section Mindilogli-Kato Achaia, 13 kilometers long, is being built on the existing alignment and its difficulty lies in the fact that it develops into an existing road with traffic, while the rest of the project, from Kato Achaia to the Pyrgos junction, is completely new alignment of 61.5 km.

The works carried out in this phase are mainly earthworks and also concern the construction of underpasses, culverts, and the uneven junction of Kato Achaia. It is noted that the approximately 230 culverts being constructed will facilitate both the flow of rainwater, which is predicted to increase in volume due to climate change, and the movement of the area’s fauna.

Also, it is pointed out that already – within the framework of the works – around 55,000 tons of agricultural waste have been forwarded for recycling. Huge volumes of materials from pipes, greenhouse covers, plastic waste, tires etc. they have already found the way to a new life.

In relation to the price increases in materials and fuel, which have arisen due to the crisis, as well as inflationary trends, Mr. Papanikolas underlined that the consortium is in communication with the government for a mutually beneficial solution based on the sustainability of the project as well as the public interest, within the framework of the existing law on public works.

The play

The total current construction cost amounts to 331 million euros and is financed by a combination of private capital of the shareholders, bank loans, European funds and a contribution from the Greek State.

Specifically, during the construction period, the project is financed by 35% from the concessionaire’s funds (bank loans and equity) and 65% by the European Union and the Greek State.

It concerns the upgrading of a 13 km section (Midilogli-Kato Achaia) and the construction of a new motorway of 61 km. This is a new motorway section of the Olympia Road with a total length of approximately 75 km.

Two frontal toll stations in Kato Achaia and Chanakia and two side stations in Kato Achaia and Amaliada are foreseen.

Especially for the service of the Patras Industrial Area (BIPE), a 25 km free regional artery is being completed, starting from the area of ​​Rio (18 km perimeter) and reaching the Patras BIPE hub (the first 7 km of the new highway) .

AVAX Group has undertaken the construction of the first 21 km long section, from Mindilogli to Karaiika. This is divided into two sections, with the first 13 km long being the most “difficult” as it involves widening works on the existing road axis. Then follows a new section of 8 km.

Ellactor has taken over the section from Karaika to Gastouni, it is 33 km long and concerns a new route.

GEK TERNA will undertake the remaining 21 kilometers of the project, from Gastouni to Pyrgos.

The concessionaire of the project is Olympia Odos, whose shareholders are Vinci Concessions (29.9%), Hochtief (17%), AVAX (19.1%), Ellactor (17% through AKTOR Concessions) and GEK TERNA (17%).

Development breath for Ionian and Western Peloponnese

The project is expected to significantly boost the local economy, especially the agricultural production of the Western Peloponnese, as tens of thousands of tons of agricultural and processed products (fruit and vegetables, canned goods, etc.) are transported every year from the region in question to the large urban centers, mainly of Athens, and other international destinations.

In addition, since the sea connections of the mainland with the Ionian islands (Zakynthos, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Kythira) start from the prefecture of Ilia, the construction of Patras-Pyrgos will contribute to the elimination of the difficulties of this connection of the islands with the rest of the regions of the country and will facilitate their further tourism development.

The construction of Patras-Pyrgos, combined with the existing sea connections and receiving ports (Patra, Kyllini, Katakolo, etc.), as well as the international airport of Araxos, is certain to contribute to the creation of a second wave of development of tourist facilities throughout the region. While the highway’s contribution to the -indirect- facilitation of tourists arriving by cruise ships at the port of Katakolo bound for Ancient Olympia will be important.

Construction and technical characteristics of Patras-Pyrgos

About 800 workers will be employed at the construction sites that will be developed for the construction of Patras-Pyrgos.

The first section of 13 km from Mindilogli to Kato Achaia concerns the widening of the existing Patras-Pyrgou national road. The rest of the section is new construction (new cutting through the Elis valley).

– The new highway has two lanes and a LEA in each direction, with a central dividing island in between.

– Eight interchanges connect the highway to many villages and towns, as well as to the industrial zone of Patras, with almost 200,000 beneficiaries.

– Two frontal toll stations: Kato Achaia (Midilogli – Kyllini toll zone) and Hanakia (Kyllini-Pyrgos toll zone)

-Two lateral toll stations in Kato Achaia and Amaliada.

– Fifteen bridges

– Twenty-seven overpasses and 37 underpasses.

– One hundred and fifty culverts

– Retaining walls 7,250 m long.

– Two Motorist Service Stations (Karaeika and Pyrgos in both directions).

– A back-up Traffic Management Center (which also includes a Motorway Traffic facility) in Pyrgos.

– Two Customer Service Points, at the frontal toll stations (Kato Achaia and Hanakia).

RES-EMP

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