Ministry of Infrastructure receives file of Tria Gefiria-Vrioni bypass project
CORFU. Μanolis Orphanoudakis: "I estimate that we will not have time to put it out to tender. The new Regional Authority should run it and make it a political initiative."
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has finally received the file for the construction of the new road that will bypass the section of the Tria Gefiria-Vrioni road, but the project is facing problems once again.
According to the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure and Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis, all the required studies (transport, electromechanical, geotechnical, hydraulic, environmental impact studies) and the survey of the section of land outwith the Land Registry have been completed, as well as the compulsory purchase tables.
"At the moment some corrections are being made to the file with some additional documents requested by the Ministry as part of the completeness check. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport will then be sent to the Ministerial Cabinet to approve the project so that it can then be put out to tender," he said.
However, despite initial estimates, all signs point to the fact that the tender will not be able to be carried out by the outgoing Regional Authority, which is nearing the end of its term of office. In fact, as Mr. Orphanoudakis pointed out, the new Regional Authority will have to run it and make it a political initiative.
For years
Although it is a project that will radically change the daily life of citizens moving to and from South Corfu and will contribute to relieve the intense traffic problem in the Eth. Lefkimmi Rd, from Tria Gefiria to Vrioni. However, the construction of this bypass remained bogged down for years.
The long-awaited project was only included in the ESPA programme in 2019 by the former Regional Governor Theodoros Galiatsatos, securing funding of €27,418,876. Then Kratsa's Regional Authority reopened the case, proceeding with the updates of the studies and the outstanding issues with the Land Registry, expecting to put it out to tender by the end of the summer.
The bypass
The project includes the construction of a 2.8km road and three junctions. According to the study, the new road will be 17m wide with two lanes in each direction separated by road barriers and flanking lanes 0.5m wide, as well as pavements 1.2m in width.
The project includes earthwork, technical work, road surfacing, signage, safety, traffic lights at the junctions and street lighting. It remains to be seen, however, whether the long-awaited project will eventually be implemented or remain just a plan.
Photo: Enimerosi / From the visit of the Ministry of Infrastructure's ESPA General Secretary in May 2023
CHRISTINA GEREKOU
