The Northern Road Axis of Crete (BOAK) is the largest road project currently being implemented in Greece, with an extensive area of ​​activity and high technical requirements.

As sources from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport state, “the section “Neapolis – Agios Nikolaos Lasithiou” is being carried out as a public project and the section “Hersonissos – Neapoli” is being carried out as a PPP project and construction sites are currently operating in these two sections. The concession contract for the largest section, Chania – Heraklion, was signed in May 2025, while in this period the environmental licensing of studies for the section of the option, Kissamos – Chania, is under approval. The start of the concession begins after the approval of the environmental and the signing of the option contract.

In addition, the studies for the Pachia ‘Ammos – Sitia section are being implemented by the OAK with funding from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.’

Regarding the compensation of the contractors, the sources of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport clarify the following:

“For the road project of BOAK “Neapolis – Agios Nikolaos”, positive damages of approximately 20 million euros have been recognized to the contractor of the project, in accordance with the existing legislation on public works and the contract. These are due to the untimely return of the expropriated construction sites, due to time-consuming legal proceedings and archaeological investigations. For the road project Hersonissos – Neapoli there is a requirement of the Private Partnership Body of the order of 124 million euros. This, in addition to expropriations and archaeological investigations, is also due to other factors and technical parameters in large underground projects”.

It is emphasized, however, by the ministry’s sources, that “this amount is the contractor’s claim and not the final amount of compensation that will be finalized when the requests are examined by the competent department of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, based on the existing legislation and the contractual elements of the project. Therefore, the exact amount of compensation has not yet been determined and anyone who attempts to add the claims to the approved amounts is clearly in error. The need of some to prepay the maximum burden on the public, only the public interest does not serve”.