- A whopping budget of €975,598 for a road safety overhaul has been approved.
- The plan focuses on the Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos National Road and a critical section from Hersonissos to Malia.
- Goals include safer pedestrian crossings, smoother traffic flow, and improved urban and rural road designs.
- Funded through the “Crete 2021-2027” operational program.
- A group of experts has been contracted to handle planning and execution.
A €975,598 Road Upgrade Plan Crete Really Needs
Have you ever tried driving on the Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos National Road and lived to tell the tale? Well, rejoice, because the Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, just signed off on a €975,598 revamp to make this stretch of road far less terrifying.
This project isn’t just about paving over potholes and slapping new stripes on the road. It’s a full-blown engineering plan to overhaul safety (you know, that little thing that matters when driving). Here’s what they’re tackling:
- Safe connections for local roads and access points along the national road.
- Proper pedestrian crossings to avoid playing dodgeball with speeding cars in residential areas.
- More turning spaces to stop forcing drivers to make scary U-turns.
- A proper urban road design for areas within local towns.
- Tweaks to rural stretches for functional upgrades, making them less “risky country road” and more “modern road.”
- Beach routes sorted: Fixing access roads to the coastline so they’re safer.
This isn’t just some fly-by-night repair crew. The work is being handed off to a collaboration of engineering firms, including “A.D.T. Omega Engineers S.A.” and “Team M-H Consultants.” These teams were represented by Konstantinos Bartzokas, who was ready to steer this project into action.
An entire squad of officials showed up to seal the deal, from the Deputy Regional Governor for Technical Projects, Nikos Skoulas, to Crete’s Head of Technical Services, George Agapakis. It’s nice to see that so many bigwigs came out for a cause that affects both tourists and locals alike.
What’s the Timeline, Governor?
The plan is part of Crete’s extensive “Crete 2021-2027” funding program, so it’s government-backed and has a set (hopefully not too optimistic) schedule. The project focuses on a 5.8-kilometre section between Hersonissos and Malia, a prime tourist hotspot that also sees heavy local traffic.
The primary aim? Fix critical traffic issues so nobody has to gamble their life crossing streets or merging onto sketchy stretches. Hopefully, when it’s done, this road will be less suited to thrill-seekers and more to regular drivers just trying to make it from point A to B.
Sooner or later, this upgrade could take one more Greek “adventure” off a tourist’s checklist: “Driving like your life depends on it.” Sounds pretty great, right? As for whether they’ll stick to deadlines or blow the budget, only time will tell.
