The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Christos Dimas talks to Manifesto about the major projects going on across the country.
From the extension of the metro of Thessaloniki to Kalamaria and the completion of the Flyover, to the two flagship projects on the Crete road.
He talks about the improvements being made to 238 school facilities across the country, and the third phase of the “Marietta Giannakou”, which involves at least 450 more schools.
Finally, he explains how the air navigation equipment will be modernized, while he also analyzes efforts to address the traffic problem in Athens.
Minister, when exactly will the five new stations of the Thessaloniki metro be delivered?
The metro has changed everyday life in Thessaloniki, and with the extension to Kalamaria and the addition of the five new stations, the change will be even more impressive.
Already, the last year and a half has seen vehicle traffic in the city centre fall by about 15%, in conjunction with measures by the traffic police and transport authorities that favour the use of the new medium.
In addition, the revealing of antiquities at the metro’s museum stations, which operates with advanced technological systems, has enhanced the image of Thessaloniki internationally.
We aim to make this image even better with the extension to Kalamaria, which is an extremely complex technical project, given that it is not an extension of a line, but a branch line. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the electromechanical systems and to do all the necessary tests of the new trains in order to deliver it to the passenger public. Following this, we expect the extension to Kalamaria to be completed during the summer and probably towards the end of July, provided that everything goes well with the tests.
Is there a risk of a new delay in the Thessaloniki Flyover and how is the project progressing?
The Super Expressway is an innovative project, with a high coefficient of difficulty both from a construction point of view and from the fact that the operation of the construction sites has a direct impact on traffic.
Many efforts were made in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders and these impacts have been mitigated, resulting in the project moving forward and almost 50% of the physical scope of the project being completed. The pace of construction has accelerated as both moulds have been developed and we continue to work to a completion schedule of approximately one year from today.
With the completion of the project, the capacity of the roadway is expected to double from 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles, helping to ease traffic congestion.
Will the renovations of the 238 schools of the “Marietta Giannakou” programme be ready by September?
Our goal is for all 238 school units of the second phase of the “Marietta Giannakou” programme, which are located in 132 municipalities in Greece, to be delivered fully renovated and operational before the start of the new school year.
Our guide is the first phase of the programme, last year, when 430 schools across the country were renovated. The projects will be carried out with a €100 million donation from the Hellenic Union of Banks, specifically the systemic banks – Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank and Piraeus – and Building Infrastructures SA has the experience and expertise to implement them.
Each school will see substantial interventions, such as:
– Painting of interiors and exteriors.
– Construction, repair or renovation of toilets, including disabled toilets.
– Construction or upgrading of access ramps for people with disabilities.
– Improvement or rehabilitation of sports facilities and playgrounds.
– Insulation of roofs and repairs of tiled roofs.
The works are necessary as for many years no maintenance work has been carried out on several school facilities. By the completion of the second phase, the conditions in about 670 schools across the country will have been improved, and the donation includes the preparation of studies for at least 450 school facilities, which will be the third phase of the project.
How are the other major road projects, the E65 Motorway and the Northern Motorway of Crete, as well as the new airport in Kastelli, progressing?
The Central Greece – E65 Motorway will change the road map of mainland Greece, directly connecting the PATHE axis with the Egnatia Odos, Central Greece and Thessaly with Western Macedonia and Epirus.
The last northern section from Kalambaka to Grevena, about 46 km long, remains, which is the most difficult, since it crosses a mountainous area of unique natural beauty, as you will soon see. Construction progress is at 95% and the E65 will be delivered in its entirety this summer.
In Crete, two flagship projects are being implemented that the island has needed for many years. The Northern Road Axis of Crete is now being constructed in all three works from Chania to Agios Nikolaos.
The main section Kissamos Chania-Hersonissos Heraklion, with a total length of 187 km, construction sites have been developed on the bypasses of Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion, while work is underway on the other two: the Hersonissos-Neapolis PPP project and the Neapolis-Agios Nikolaos public project. As a whole, it is a 225 km long motorway, while the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is funding studies to bring the BOAK to Sitia, thus covering the eastern end of the island.
It is of particular importance that until the new road is built, road safety interventions are already being implemented on the existing axis, along 131 km from Kissamos in Chania to Linoperamata in Heraklion. The aim is to immediately reduce accidents, as was the case with the corresponding measures implemented on the Old National Road Patras-Pyrgos.
In Kastelli, the picture at the new construction site of the new airport is impressive, with progress on the construction leg approaching 70%. The new airport will be the most modern in Greece and will replace the current Heraklion “Nikos Kazantzakis” airport, the second largest in the country in terms of passenger traffic. An agreement has recently been signed for the supply and installation of air navigation equipment, in accordance with international standards, so that we will be ready when the construction work is finished.
Finally, why, while you know the causes of the traffic problem, can you not solve it?
The traffic is a multifactorial issue that lies in the large number of vehicles in relation to the capacity of the capital’s infrastructure, and its solution involves a number of agencies. In the part of its remit, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is promoting projects to support the road network while investing in strengthening transport services.
In road projects, we have undertaken two initiatives. The first is the triple intervention in Skaramanga, where the contractor has recently been awarded the project, which includes the completion of the Western Regional Avenue of Egaleo, along with the construction of three new interchanges in Skaramanga, Schisto and the Shipyards area.
This will facilitate traffic flowsin an area that has daily heavy traffic jams and at the same time, through the extension of the Western Regional Avenue of Egaleo to Skaramagas, an alternative route to Piraeus will be created, which will reduce the flows on Kifissos.
The second intervention concerns the Metamorfosi junction, where the lanes will be separated at the exit of vehicles coming from Attiki Odos with vehicles coming from Elefsina. In this way, the two streams will not come out at the same point, as is the case today, resulting in the well-known phenomenon known as “bottle neck”.
As far as transport infrastructure is concerned, the emblematic project that will change the way people travel in Athens is the construction of Line 4 of the Athens Metro, from Also Beikou to the area of Goudi. The “Athena” metro train, starting from Katehaki, has arrived at the “Evangelismos” shaft, while the second twin metro train, “Niki”, is opening the tunnel in the opposite direction, from the Veikou Park to the “Evangelismos” shaft. After the opening of the tunnel, the construction of the stations will follow.
How is the renewal of the bus fleet progressing?
The renewal of the fleet of buses is taking place based on the plan drawn up by the current government, and there are already about 1,250 buses in Athens. 871 of these are new and next month another 205 modern vehicles – electric and gas – will be integrated into the fleet, bringing the number of new buses to 1,076. The reinforcement will continue until the end of 2026, with an additional 201 new vehicles, as all the old Euro 2 technology buses are withdrawn.
Similarly, in Thessaloniki, most of the old fleet has been replaced with modern vehicles with anti-pollution technology and this represents a substantial improvement in the quality of transport for citizens, in the reduction of air pollution and in ensuring accessibility.
When will the modernisation of air navigation systems be completed?
The modernisation of air navigation is already in full swing through a comprehensive Action Plan for the country’s compliance with the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) framework, which started in June 2025 and will be completed, in parts, by December 2028. The plan includes 364 actions in cooperation with the European Commission, Eurocontrol and EASA, with specific timelines and continuous progress monitoring.
Already, projects are being implemented to upgrade the communications and voice recording systems (VCRS) for 18 airports and the Directorate of the Electronic Applications and Major Maintenance Centre (EACC). Basic specifications, equipment delivery and initial installations have been completed, with technical testing and operational integration of the systems progressing in 2026. At the same time, the procurement of new VHF transceivers is progressing, with deliveries to be completed in 2026.
Most important is the new VCRS system for the Athens and Macedonia Area Control Centres, with a completion date of January 2027, which will support the transition to digital communications Data Link Services.
At the same time, the implementation of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) at 31 airports is progressing, with a contract to be signed in the second quarter of 2026, while the upgrade of eight Mode S radars is already in the tender phase.
The new TopSky ATC One air traffic management system is also a high-profile contract, with delivery set for 2028 and full operational operation in 2029.
All in all, this is a multi-tiered programme with secured funding and clear milestones, leading to a fully modern air navigation system by the end of the decade.
Alongside the upgrade of technological systems, the strengthening of the staff of the Civil Aviation Authority with qualified personnel, such as air traffic controllers, has been underway since last year.
