The Regional Governor of Central Macedonia sent a letter to the relevant Ministries today, as promised Apostolos Tzizikostaswith 15 specific proposals of the Region to limit the effects of construction of the Flyover on the ring road of Thessaloniki.

In his letter, Mr. Tzitzikostas points out that “the construction of the elevated expressway (Flyover) on the ring road of Thessaloniki is an emblematic project for Thessaloniki which is estimated to be an important tool in dealing with the city’s traffic problem. The project was designed and its construction was commissioned through the PPP process by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, while the Region of Central Macedonia did not participate in the planning of the project, nor was it ever informed of the content of the contract. During the construction period of the Flyover, the Eastern Ring Road has two lanes in each direction instead of the three it normally has, with the result that its traffic capacity has been reduced by approximately 45% to 50%. In addition, additional traffic friction is created due to the presence of construction vehicles. Based on the above data and taking into account the positions of the contractor and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as they have been expressed, deficiencies are identified in the design of the project execution procedures that render ineffective the management of traffic in the urban fabric of Thessaloniki, which is already burdened from the multi-year construction of the Metro and the delays that have occurred in this project”.

The Regional Governor also emphasizes in his letter: “As we pointed out to you from the first moment, no care was taken to deal with the consequences during the construction phase of the fly over in the traffic problem of the urban complex of Thessaloniki. The capacity of the ring road has been significantly reduced since the number of available traffic lanes has been reduced, and particularly problematic is the absence of an emergency lane, creating a major issue in the movement of vehicles to deal with emergencies. In addition, the situation in the regional area is burdened by the traffic of construction vehicles. It is obvious that much of the regional traffic load is transferred to the city’s already saturated road network. Without taking drastic measures, the city is led to traffic suffocation. The burden of the traffic problem is already particularly noticeable in the city after the start of work on specific sections of the ring road. Obviously the effects will be more adverse when the contractor’s sites are fully developed. Just a few months ago, a coordinating body was established under the responsibility of the Deputy Minister of the Interior with responsibility for Macedonia-Thrace issues, and OSETH was assigned the coordination of the involved bodies at a technical level. The establishment and operation of the coordinating body is obviously correct and necessary. However, it should be supported by a scientific team of researchers – transportation experts who will undertake the preparation of studies and the provision of the necessary services aimed at dealing with traffic problems outside the boundaries of the project, without the need to follow complex and time-consuming procedures, something which we have highlighted as the Region of Central Macedonia since the first information meeting of the Coordinating Body but we have not yet seen it implemented. This group should continuously monitor, for as long as required, the traffic conditions in the urban complex by receiving traffic data, will process and propose countermeasures – mitigating the effects and then evaluate them based on their effectiveness. For the measures that will be decided, this group should be tasked with drawing up the necessary studies in the implementation stage, so that the measures can be implemented immediately by the competent body in each case. If the measures to be decided include the readjustment of traffic lights, the team of researchers will have to prepare the appropriate signaling programs. As the construction of the Flyover has begun and the first impacts are already being felt, there is no time for further delays. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport should allocate the necessary financial resources for the operation of the scientific group and proceed immediately with the assignment of the corresponding object, ensuring that the proposals will be immediately implemented without delays”.

Also Mr. Tzitzikostas mentions the lane blocking issues, the installation of new equipment and asphalt pavements, with the contractor’s obligation to always keep two traffic lanes available in each direction. However, the contractor claims, citing the contract that has been signed, that in each phase of construction the maintenance and operation of the trafficked part of the road does not belong to his competence.

“In a road section where there is occupation of the road surface for the execution of works, this section is a construction zone and the sole responsibility for its operation with the application of traffic regulation measures rests with the entity carrying out the work. In addition, in the case of the construction of the Flyover, the circulating part of the ring road will have no relation with the existing (before the start of the project) road, since the number of lanes and their width will be reduced, the dividing island with the plants will be removed and the electric lighting masts, new safety parapets will be placed to separate the branches and new electric lighting masts and lighting bodies will be placed at the ends of the new configuration. Therefore, in this road section that the contractor will carry out his work and will shape it appropriately, so as to serve the needs of his project, the planning of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport provides that the contractor will not be responsible for maintenance and operation . It is obvious that this scheme is ineffective and makes it difficult to restore damages, as the responsibilities and responsibilities of the involved bodies will overlap”. notes the Regional Governor.

In addition, the reduction in capacity on the busy part of the road and the expected increase in delay has raised concerns about the handling of emergencies on the ring road, but also the movement of ambulances to and from hospitals under conditions of increased traffic congestion.

“Only with very good coordination of the parties involved can the desired level of road safety be achieved and the inconvenience to ring road users be reduced. This is only possible when the construction body and the maintenance and operation body are joint or at least controlled – they are supervised by a joint body which in this case is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport”, underlines the Regional Governor, while noting that the law of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport , with which it is possible to entrust the operation and maintenance to supervised bodies of the Ministry, of roads affected during the construction of the projects of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport that are implemented with concession contracts or PPPs or financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund “is obviously in the right direction since it reduces the agencies involved”.

“All the necessary Ministerial Decisions should be issued immediately in order to entrust the operation and maintenance of the Regional Road to a body supervised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as has already been announced, with the aim of achieving the optimal level of road safety. As the construction work has already started, the issuance of the above decisions is particularly critical for the smooth progress of the project and the road safety of drivers moving on the Ring Road, something that has been pointed out by us from the first moment we became part of the planning for the implementation of the project, but we have not yet seen it implemented”, emphasizes Mr. Tzitzikostas.

The 15 sentences

In order to mitigate, as far as possible, the effects on road safety and traffic of the wider urban complex of Thessaloniki from the Flyover construction projects, the Region of Central Macedonia submits the following proposals to the relevant Ministries, to ensure their immediate implementation:

1. Establishment of a group of expert scientists who will be in charge of the required actions and the preparation of the corresponding application studies to mitigate the effects on the city from the construction of the Flyover.
2.Establishment and certification for public and private bodies operating in the Metropolitan Unit of Thessaloniki of teleworking in order to reduce the traffic load from the movements of employees on a daily basis.
3. Modification and adaptation of the operating hours of public services.
4. Change of the opening hours of the shops in the historical center of Thessaloniki.
5. Placement and operation of variable message signs through which information will be given on transit times through the streets of the urban complex and the ring road.
6. Faithful implementation of the loading and unloading schedule.
7. Garbage collection outside peak hours.
8. Prohibition of the traffic of trucks from the ring road during peak hours.
9. Placement of cameras at points deemed appropriate by the Traffic Police, in order to assist in traffic management and the reduction of illegal parking.
10. Ensuring a corridor for the ambulance vehicles through the Karatassiou camp to the Papageorgiou hospital.
11. Placement of crane vehicles at appropriate points on the ring road to intervene immediately in the event of a traffic accident.
12. Provision of public spaces within the urban fabric or on the perimeter for the construction of outdoor parking spaces.
13. Even greater reinforcement of the OASTH with staff and buses and acceleration of the delivery of the Metro into operation.
14. Taking measures for faster implementation of the project. Specifically, we suggest that your Ministry consider the possibility of the contractor working in at least two shifts – if it is not possible on a 24-hour basis – and seven days a week in order to increase the pace of project implementation.
15. Sending the approved project implementation schedule to all agencies in order for them to be informed and to be able to monitor compliance with the schedules.