The project for the VOAK (Greek National Road 90) section Neapolis – Agios Nikolaos has been granted an initial extension.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has made the decision to extend the deadlines for the departmental project execution:
- The initial deadline has been extended by 204 calendar days and is now set for 30th August 2024.
- The second partial deadline has been significantly extended and is due by 31 August 2025.
- Finally, the third partial deadline has been pushed back by 184 calendar days and is now set for September 5th, 2025.
These extensions to the partial deadlines do not change the final contract deadline. One of the main reasons given for these extensions is the significant delay in the performance of expropriated lands, which has exceeded one year. Delays in preparing the studies have been linked to issues with delivering project execution sites, which have hindered researchers from conducting necessary exploratory work.
The project began on September 5th, 2022 and is scheduled to last for 36 months, concluding in September 2025. Although these extensions may have an impact on the ultimate deadline, a final decision has not been made at this time. AKTOR has been awarded the contract for this project, with a substantial value of €186 million. The funding for this project comes from the Recovery Fund. Expropriation issues have played a major role in causing project delays, as there is a pending expropriation case scheduled for discussion in September.
As construction moves forward, the Hersonissos – Neapoli section of the VOAK is making significant progress. The second section, from Hersonissos to Neapolis, is now preparing to begin construction. The Ministry of the Interior has given its approval for the TEPEM (technical environmental study) for the construction sites in Hersonissos and Vrachasi.
With a budget of €290 million (excluding VAT), this project is being implemented using the PPP method. The consortium responsible for overseeing the project is GEK TERNA – AKTOR CONCESSIONS – INTRAKAT. The project encompasses a total distance of 22.5 kilometres, with 8.3 kilometres of new road construction and 14.2 kilometres of existing axis upgrades. The project is set to begin on April 23rd, 2023 and is expected to be completed by April 2027, with an additional 26-year period for operation and maintenance.
