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section from Xylokastro to Patras, since the
Corinth-Kiato-Xylokastro section has already
been delivered in the previous months). Four
smaller sections remain to be completed: they are
located at the Kamari area (between Xylokastro
and Derveni), where construction works was
delayed due to archaeological findings.
In fact, Olympia Odos is the only of the four con-
cession motorways that was allowed to deliver a
section later than August. This is the Rio inter-
change, where the lane from Athens to the Rion-
Antirio suspension bridge (and vice versa) will
become operational in March.
Ionian Highway
There are still problems in three areas, where
expropriation was delayed: At the first ten-km sec-
tion of the project, at the Riza area, before the
Klokova tunnel; at the Krikello section (105th-
108th km), where the rough terrain makes it diffi-
cult to speed up construction work (it is very like-
ly that in this 3 km section, traffic will be diverted
to one lane); and at the Papageorgiou military
camp area (185th-187th km), where the neces-
sary expropriations have not been yet completed.
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The Xyniada-Trikala section will be fully opera-
tional by late March.
Vale of Tempe-Platamonas
The Vale of Tempe and Platamonas tunnels will
also be delivered by the end of March. Final con-
struction work at the north section of the Raches
Fthiotida-Kleidi Imathias concession project (new
Eginion and Korinon, Pieria, bridges) will be com-
pleted by August.
Metro and railway
Now that the delivery of the road projects is
almost complete, and the construction of the
Thessaloniki Metro is finally underway, the
Ministry of Infrastructure is opening the file of
major railway projects, through the completion of
the PATHE (Piraeus - Athens - Thessaloniki -
Idomeni) railway axis, and the launching of the
East-West railway axis (the “railway Egnatia”), a
project of not only economic, but also geopolitical
importance.
Based on current circumstances, the gradual
completion of the remaining sections of the
PATHE railway axis, a project that was launched
in 1997, is expected from 2018 to 2022.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the
realisation of railway projects budgeted at 832
million euros will be continued in 2017, with the
aim of delivering the entire PATHE railway for use
as a fully electrified railway line.
These projects include the completion of the new
electrified, high speed, two-way line at the
Tithorea-Lianokladi-Domokos section, with a total
length of 106 km, a budget of 430 million euros,
and a current completion rate of more than 55%.
Also in 2017, work will continue on the construc-
tion of the Rododaphe-Psathopyrgos section of
the Athens-Patras rail line, with a budget of 290
million euros and a current completion rate of
