The road reconstruction of Evia begins – What projects are being launched

by Eleni Botas

The road reconstruction of Evia, a prefecture of the country that has been deprived of infrastructure projects for many years, is entering a start phase.

The beginning will take place on Tuesday, February 22 with the auction of the project of “Bypass of Chalkida and Bypass of Psachna”, budget 210 million euros, while the project of the North Road Axis of Evia, budget 200 million euros, is entering the maturation phase.

The auctioned project of the Chalkida Bypass and Psachna Bypass, in which according to information all the major construction groups of the country are expected to participate autonomously, aims to improve the connection of Athens and Chalkida with northern Evia, to decongest the urban fabric of Chalkida , of N. Artaki and Psachna with the passing traffic to be channeled to the new road and to the performance in the traffic of a single and safe road from Chalkida until the end of the Bypass of Psachna.

The project includes two road sections: the first from Nea Lampsako to the 2 km long Vathrovouni Tunnel and then to the 14.7 km long Vathrovouni Tunnel to Psachna. The following sections are included as an option:

a) the section before Nea Lampsako, to Chalkida / Ypsili Gefyra, ie the section “AK Schimatari – Nea Lampsakos”, approximately 4.0 km long,

b) the section of Psachna bypass and

c) the part of the artery connecting North – South Evia that connects the uneven junction of Liani Ammos of the bypass of Chalkida with the road network to southern Evia.

The goal of the ministry is to nominate the contractor in the spring and to sign the relevant contract within the year.

The duration of the project is set at 48 months from the signing of the contract.

North Road Axis of Evia

The project of the North Road Axis of Evia, with a budget of 200 million euros, is also in the process of maturation.

According to information, the project is expected to mature within the next 1.5 years and then to be put up for auction.

The project was recently mentioned by both Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, G. Karagiannis, who visited Northern Evia to present a holistic reconstruction program of the area affected by last summer’s fires.

“Road access remains the key to the transition of northern Evia to a new development era. That is why we will launch this project and it will be the most important infrastructure project, which will eventually be linked to the plan for Evia”, noted the Prime Minister.

“We are talking about a 56 km road, we are talking about a new route which will significantly reduce the route from northern Evia to Chalkida and in combination with the bypass of Chalkida, the bypass of Psachna, will completely change the character of road infrastructure in northern Evia.

A project with secured resources, which will break the road isolation of northern Evia and will make the implementation of the rest of our plan much easier “, stressed Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

As stated by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, G. Karagiannis, “the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the construction of an emblematic project, the Northern Road Axis of Evia, which will connect with speed and safety North Evia with the capital of the Prefecture and will upgrade quality of life of the citizens of the wider region.

In total, the new axis will start at the end of Psachna Bypass and will have a total length of 56 km, of which the new section is 47 km, while the remaining 9 km correspond to an upgrade of the existing road network.

The urgent completion and updating of the existing studies is already being promoted, in order to launch their auction, as a single project, while the project will be financed by the NSRF 2021-2027 program.