Minister of Infrastructure Christos Dimas announced that today marks an important day, as road safety measures begin to be implemented immediately on two specific sections of the BOAK highway: from Kolymbari to Chania, and from Linoperamata to the Heraklion landfill.
He explained that these measures are similar to those successfully applied on the Patras-Pyrgos highway, which resulted in a dramatic reduction in fatal road accidents and serious injuries.
The state’s priority, according to the Minister, is to reduce traffic accidents on the VOAK as well, and to that end, seven major interventions will be carried out on the highway by the end of the year.
The overall plan covers the entire stretch from Kissamos to Sitia. Currently, public works are underway from Agios Nikolaos to Neapoli, while a public-private partnership is in place from Neapoli to Hersonissos. On May 9th, the concession agreement from Chania to Heraklion was signed.
In the near future, an option agreement will be activated for the section from Chania to Kissamos, and last week the segment from Pachia Ammos to Sitia was announced, completing the planning maturity for the last remaining segment. Thus, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the state’s vision is for a VOAK highway stretching from Kissamos all the way to Sitia.
Minister Dimas also stated that many bollards will be installed along the VOAK because experience has shown that although there was initial skepticism from local communities and mayors, these same stakeholders now advocate for keeping the bollards in place. The bollards have not only contributed to reducing traffic accidents but also significantly improved traffic flow.
“Yes, bollards will be installed and new regulations introduced on the VOAK. From today, the first immediate measures begin, which will continue to be rolled out over time. The interventions will be completed soon, and as the project progresses, construction will be adjusted continuously based on evolving needs. Therefore, starting today, this becomes part of our daily lives. Citizens will need to exercise patience, but we are building a modern, safe highway that will meet everyone’s needs,” the Minister concluded.
