The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has achieved yet another milestone, as the progress on the construction of the Patras-Pyrgos Motorway, managed by Olympia Odos, has surpassed 40%, reaching 42%, according to information from ypodomes.com. Deputy Minister of Transport, Christina Alexopoulou, made this announcement a few days ago. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport allocated €27.56 million for the project and certified the fourth installment of the state’s financial contribution. This certification required the project to have exceeded the 40% progress threshold. In total, the state has certified a sum of €113.92 million out of the total allocated amount of €216.62 million, including the pending fourth installment.
The aim now is for the project to reach 55% completion by the summer, meaning it will achieve an additional 25% progress in approximately six months, as progress had reached 30% at the beginning of the year. The construction progress of the Patras-Pyrgos Motorway has gained momentum, and the goal is for progress to reach 80-85% by the end of the year, allowing for the opening of the first section of the new motorway, as announced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
The section being constructed by TERNA, from Gastouni to Pyrgos, is the most advanced, currently at 60% completion compared to 45% at the beginning of the year. Asphalt paving has been completed on 50% of this section, which corresponds to 10 out of the 20 kilometers. There is an optimistic outlook that it could be completed by the end of this year. The section undertaken by AKTOR, from Karaiskakis to Gastouni, has progressed to 28% from 20% at the beginning of the year, and it is expected to accelerate in the coming period. Preparations are underway to begin the first asphalt paving on a stretch of approximately 3-4 kilometers.
In the AVAX section, from Mitrilogi to Karaiskakis, progress has increased from 27% to 37% since the beginning of the year. Works are progressing to the extent that there is optimism that it will reach 50% completion in the next two to three months. As for asphalt paving, it has been completed on a stretch of 4-5 kilometers, and it will be further extended by the summer.
The Patras-Pyrgos Motorway is not only a significant project that will connect the new motorway to Ancient Olympia, but it is also a pioneering venture for the region. It will be the first closed motorway for the Prefecture of Ilia, which has been plagued by road safety issues, and the new infrastructure will improve the situation significantly. The project includes the construction of a 74.8-kilometer section of the motorway, completing the Elefsina-Corinth-Patras-Pyrgos Motorway, also known as Olympia Odos. The first 13 kilometers will be developed through the expansion of the existing National Road, with the remaining 61.8 kilometers constructed on a new alignment. The new motorway will feature a four-lane cross-section with a width of 21.30 meters (excluding side formations), consisting of two traffic lanes per direction with a total width of 14 meters (4×3.50 meters), emergency lanes with corresponding guide lanes with a total width of 4.60 meters (2×2.30 meters), safety lanes on the central median with a total width of 2.10 meters (2×1.05 meters), a central median with two-way New Jersey barriers with a width of 0.60 meters and a height of 0.80 meters.
The project is funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds for the programming period 2014-2020, and it will also serve as a bridge project to secure funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds for the programming period 2021-2027.
