Agnos-Xirokamares Tunnel Plan Moves Forward

The Environmental Committee will decide on the Environmental Impact Study of the Agnos-Xirokamares tunnel and infrastructure for Crete’s new Kastelli Airport. If everything goes as expected, the project will finally gain momentum after years of delays and debates.

This twin-tunnel marvel spans 2,850 meters on one side, with the other stretch just slightly shorter by 70 meters. Sounds like a logistical dream, right? Well, not entirely. While progress on the tunnel is welcome news, local mayors have some, let’s say, “friendly reminders” about additional demands not yet tackled—flood control measures, anyone? Yes, those still need sorting out and better road connections to link their communities to the fancy new airport.

Here’s the situation in brief:

• The Environmental Committee is expected to approve the study, giving the project a much-needed boost.
• The twin tunnel will reduce the risk of environmental destruction—hooray for common sense.
• Local leaders, including the mayors of Minoa Pediada and Hersonissos, want more infrastructure upgrades tied to this project (an endless wish list, it seems).
• Flood prevention and road upgrades are top concerns because, apparently, not drowning is a priority.
• Public consultation ends on February 28, so get your opinions in while you can (not that it’ll necessarily change the outcome).

Bureaucracy: The Real MVP of Delays

In case anyone forgot, this project didn’t magically appear overnight. Local governments and organizations have worked for years urging, begging, and insisting on official intervention. The Ministry of Environment has now passed on the Environmental Impact Study to regional authorities in Crete, keeping the process going at a snail’s pace. It is a tiny triumph for bureaucratic endurance—or fatigue.

Deputy Regional Governor for the Environment Nikos Xylouris couldn’t resist remarking on the glaringly obvious: building a road based on 15-year-old blueprints isn’t precisely a masterstroke. The tunnel idea, he stated, is now aligned with modern environmental standards. The ongoing public consultation is already underway and should be finished by late February. Will it suit everyone? Doubtful.

For tourists making their way to Crete’s new Kastelli Airport, this tunnel is more than an engineering endeavor. It’s a reminder that travel, like everything else, has detours and delays—especially where politics meets infrastructure.