Regional Authority says contractor to begin work on Garitsa shore road in October
Garitsa
05 Aug 2021
/ 15:21
CORFU. The status of the restoration of the seawall from Desyllas factory to Anemomylos.
The Ionian Islands Regional Authority is attempting to resolve the problem of Garitsa's seawall restoration between Desyllas factory and Anemomylos, in order to complete the planning for Garitsa's coastal area. Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure & Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis told Enimerosi that all the procedures required for the restoration of this section have been initiated, with the aim of deciding on a contractor for the project before October, so that the work can be completed on the remaining section and the shore road will have the image that it deserves as one of the main Corfu tourist attractions.
According to Mr. Orphanoudakis, the updating of Corfu Port Authority’s (OLKE) study by the Technical Works Department has been completed, while the required resources – about €700,000– have been secured for the implementation of the project.
“The Regional Authority is taking on the challenge of the seawall restoration from Desyllas factory to Anemomylos and very soon the contractor will emerge to implement a project that does not belong to us and that should have been implemented a long time ago,” said Mr. Orphanoudakis.
He said that the Ionian Islands Regional Council has already given the “green light” for this urgent project and the Ionian Islands Region Technical Works Department is waiting for the required permits from the responsible Ministry. “Provided we receive the required approvals, our aim is to start the implementation of the project immediately. We expect to have tenders from at least 3 contractors shortly, in accordance the Regional Council decision to accelerate the procedures. The aim is to have the contractor in place before October”, he said.
The work to be done
The work to be done will involve road shoring, restoration of the cavities created by the sea and complete pavement restoration, in the places where there are holes in order to avoid similar problems in the future. At the same time, full provision will be made to reinforce the existing wall to avoid similar phenomena.
What had preceded
The project is expected to add value to the area as a continuation of the previous project implemented and completed by former Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos on the section from NAOK (Sailing Club) to Desyllas factory. In fact, the former Regional Authority had planned to complete the remaining section, but the elections with the change of leadership in the Ionian Islands Region put an end to Mr. Galiatsatos' plans for the tendering and construction of the remaining section. The project, however, has been brought to a standstill, since in the meantime the Municipal Land Agency obtained the coastal area, after its declassification by OLKE. Furthermore, as revealed in the Finance Minister's document in response to Corfu SYRIZA MP Alexandros Avlonitis’s question, there was no relevant request for the implementation of the project by any local government body.
However, the sight of the wall and the extensive damage and holes in the pavement, which are particularly dangerous for pedestrians, created a lot of pressure for the remaining section to be completed.
The obstacles and difficulties
The project for the restoration of the seawall in Garitsa Bay was included in the Operational Programme of Western Greece – Peloponnese – Ionian
Islands 2007-2013, on 9/4/2012 with the Corfu Port Authority as beneficiary and with a budget of €4,127,000. The study had been prepared at an earlier time (11/11/2011) at the expense of OLKE. Subsequently, the project was excluded, as OLKE is unable by law to carry out projects with a budget of more than €3m.
The project was again included in the Operational Programme of Western Greece - Peloponnese and Ionian Islands 2007-2013, on 14/2/2013, but this time with the Ionian Islands Regional Administration as the final beneficiary and with the same
budget. The project was put out to tender on 16/4/2013, contracted on 25/9/2013 with an initial completion date of 24/3/2015. However, the non-implementation of the project by the contractor led to the automatic dissolution of the relevant project contract was awarded to the first runner-up on 1/7/2016 with a budget of €2,802,750. Due to the non-completion of the project within the period of eligibility, however, it was excluded on 8/2/2017 for a second time.
The third and final time, it was again included in the Ionian Islands Region Operational Programme 2014-2020 on 8/2/2017 with a budget of €2,606,844. In 2019 the project was delivered and half of the project was executed up to the location of Desyllas factory, since the project had been contracted up to that point. From the Desyllas factory to Anemomylos, the project was not put out to tender because the approval from the Central Archaeological Council, according to former Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos, “was given in the summer of 2019. However, even if it had been given earlier, they could not proceed with the required procedures”.
The problem now lies in the fact that in the meantime, on 19/12/2018, OLKE’s decision to declassify the shorefront from Cafe Yiali to Anemomylos was published in the Government Gazette,and includes this section of the seawall and pavement - with the prospect of it being granted to the Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Municipality.
However, to date, this has not happened - meaning that this section still belongs
to the Municipal Land Agency and TAIPED (Hellenic Republic Asset Development). Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Mayor Meropi Ydraiou told Enimerosi that the process of concession of the town’s coastal area is still in progress, but it is expected to make some significant progress by the end of September.
According to Mr. Orphanoudakis, the updating of Corfu Port Authority’s (OLKE) study by the Technical Works Department has been completed, while the required resources – about €700,000– have been secured for the implementation of the project.
“The Regional Authority is taking on the challenge of the seawall restoration from Desyllas factory to Anemomylos and very soon the contractor will emerge to implement a project that does not belong to us and that should have been implemented a long time ago,” said Mr. Orphanoudakis.
He said that the Ionian Islands Regional Council has already given the “green light” for this urgent project and the Ionian Islands Region Technical Works Department is waiting for the required permits from the responsible Ministry. “Provided we receive the required approvals, our aim is to start the implementation of the project immediately. We expect to have tenders from at least 3 contractors shortly, in accordance the Regional Council decision to accelerate the procedures. The aim is to have the contractor in place before October”, he said.
The work to be done
The work to be done will involve road shoring, restoration of the cavities created by the sea and complete pavement restoration, in the places where there are holes in order to avoid similar problems in the future. At the same time, full provision will be made to reinforce the existing wall to avoid similar phenomena.
What had preceded
The project is expected to add value to the area as a continuation of the previous project implemented and completed by former Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos on the section from NAOK (Sailing Club) to Desyllas factory. In fact, the former Regional Authority had planned to complete the remaining section, but the elections with the change of leadership in the Ionian Islands Region put an end to Mr. Galiatsatos' plans for the tendering and construction of the remaining section. The project, however, has been brought to a standstill, since in the meantime the Municipal Land Agency obtained the coastal area, after its declassification by OLKE. Furthermore, as revealed in the Finance Minister's document in response to Corfu SYRIZA MP Alexandros Avlonitis’s question, there was no relevant request for the implementation of the project by any local government body.
However, the sight of the wall and the extensive damage and holes in the pavement, which are particularly dangerous for pedestrians, created a lot of pressure for the remaining section to be completed.
The obstacles and difficulties
The project for the restoration of the seawall in Garitsa Bay was included in the Operational Programme of Western Greece – Peloponnese – Ionian
Islands 2007-2013, on 9/4/2012 with the Corfu Port Authority as beneficiary and with a budget of €4,127,000. The study had been prepared at an earlier time (11/11/2011) at the expense of OLKE. Subsequently, the project was excluded, as OLKE is unable by law to carry out projects with a budget of more than €3m.
The project was again included in the Operational Programme of Western Greece - Peloponnese and Ionian Islands 2007-2013, on 14/2/2013, but this time with the Ionian Islands Regional Administration as the final beneficiary and with the same
budget. The project was put out to tender on 16/4/2013, contracted on 25/9/2013 with an initial completion date of 24/3/2015. However, the non-implementation of the project by the contractor led to the automatic dissolution of the relevant project contract was awarded to the first runner-up on 1/7/2016 with a budget of €2,802,750. Due to the non-completion of the project within the period of eligibility, however, it was excluded on 8/2/2017 for a second time.
The third and final time, it was again included in the Ionian Islands Region Operational Programme 2014-2020 on 8/2/2017 with a budget of €2,606,844. In 2019 the project was delivered and half of the project was executed up to the location of Desyllas factory, since the project had been contracted up to that point. From the Desyllas factory to Anemomylos, the project was not put out to tender because the approval from the Central Archaeological Council, according to former Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos, “was given in the summer of 2019. However, even if it had been given earlier, they could not proceed with the required procedures”.
The problem now lies in the fact that in the meantime, on 19/12/2018, OLKE’s decision to declassify the shorefront from Cafe Yiali to Anemomylos was published in the Government Gazette,and includes this section of the seawall and pavement - with the prospect of it being granted to the Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Municipality.
However, to date, this has not happened - meaning that this section still belongs
to the Municipal Land Agency and TAIPED (Hellenic Republic Asset Development). Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Mayor Meropi Ydraiou told Enimerosi that the process of concession of the town’s coastal area is still in progress, but it is expected to make some significant progress by the end of September.
