Nea Odos is the company that has undertaken the design, planning, construction, operation, management, and maintenance of the ‘Ionia Odos’ Concession project. This revitalisation project includes the following main sections.
- The motorway by the name ‘Ionia Odos’, which is 196 km long, from Antirrio to Ioannina (Interchange with Egnatia Odos). This motorway is incredibly important from a social and development perspective, since:
- It connects all of Western Greece, significantly upgrading urban and rural centres, such as Ioannina, Arta, and Agrinio.
- It contributes to the more adequate connection of the ports of Patras, Astakos, and Igoumenitsa.
- It contributes to the broader development of the region, offering accessibility to regions with high tourism and archaeological interest, since upon completion of its construction the journey from Antirrio to Ioannina will only take 1 hour and 40 minutes, in comparison to the current 3 hours and 30 minutes.
- It is a project that crosses two regions and four prefectures, and which comes to cover a demand that has existed for many years and provide a new development boost. Its technical characteristics include: 24 bridges with a total length of 7 km, 4 tunnels with a total length of 11.2 km, 77 underpasses and 24 overpasses.
- Part of the A.Th.E. motorway with a length of approximately 170 km, from the interchange at Metamorfosi, Attica, to Skarfia, Fthiotida, after Kamena Vourla. A series of important works have been implemented on the A.Th.E. motorway to transform it into a modern and safe motorway. The goal was and still is to transform these 170 kilometres from Metamorfosi to Skarfia into a model point of reference for both Greek and international standards. The works already underway include, among other things, road widening, safety barrier replacements, interchange reconstructions, upgrading of existing parking areas and creation of new parking areas, improving horizontal and vertical signing, etc. This part of the A.Th.E. crosses two regions and three prefectures and its technical characteristics include among other things: 8 bridges, 30 interchanges and semi-interchanges, and 84 overpasses and underpasses.
- The connecting branch of A.Th.E., Schimatari-Chalkida, with a length of 11 km.
Benefits
A number of actions are being implemented with the aim of securing safe travel conditions to the greatest extent possible. Safety barriers have been installed along both projects, in order to decrease the chance of head on collisions. The road axes are monitored both through special high performance systems and with constant patrols that inspect the condition of the motorways on a daily basis. The scheduled and emergency maintenance works ensure the high quality of all infrastructure.
The completion of the works will significantly reduce the average journey duration. Indicatively, there has been a reduction of more than 45 minutes in the Athens – Raches journey, while the Antirrio – Ioannina journey duration has been reduced by more than one (1) hour.
Besides Motorist Service Station, the placement of SOS emergency telephones along the road axes, and the creation of safe areas for temporary parking, also at the disposal of drivers are immediate response teams in case of emergencies, a customer service call centre, and cutting edge Traffic Management Centres.
Every six months during the construction period the company submits environmental management reports that certify compliance with the Approved Environmental Terms of the concession agreement. An Environmental Monitoring and Control Programme has been drafted and is being implemented, which includes actions pertaining to on-site monitoring of the environmental conditions, as well as an Intervention Plan with the necessary measures to immediately address accidental pollution of the project’s sensitive areas. Protecting the flora and fauna, developing flood protection works, constructing special crossings for wildlife, restoring vegetation, implementing important anti-noise measures by installing noise barriers, creating acoustic zones and embankments by planting special vegetation, continuously monitoring air pollutants, vibrations,
Reliable, safe, and faster transportation conditions significantly boost the local economies, positively impacting activity of both businesses and each resident separately. Furthermore, both during the construction and the concession period, the employment rate is significantly boosted, as the requirements in human resources are met by the local residents of each area.
noise, traffic, and a number of other measures ensure the harmonious integration of the road axes into the environment.