Design & Construction

Olympia Odos: One project, many heroes

Olympia Odos is one of the most important national strategic projects for the development of the Peloponnese, Western Greece and Epirus.

It connects these three Regions of Attica- Peloponnese and Western Greece and the Greek capital with the most important gate of Greece to Europe, i.e. the port of Patras.

The new, modern and comfortable motorway offers an enhanced and safe connection to the southwestern part of Greece, and in particular to and from the port of Patras, archaeological sites and tourist areas, while it also strengthens export and agricultural production.

Patras-Pyrgos: 75 kilometers to the Future

In March 2022, Olympia Odos entered a new era thanks to the construction of a new section that will bring Athens closer to Pyrgos and one of the most important historical sites, Ancient Olympia.

The completion of Patras-Pyrgos will trigger a series of beneficial effects on the economic, social and cultural development of the entire region of Western Peloponnese.

The modern motorway will offer easy road access to the area, while it will allow the whole region to rearrange its tourist and development environment, thanks to sustainable economic, environmental and social activities.

Thanks to the integration of Patras-Pyrgos Motorway in the Concession Project, Olympia Odos becomes the third longer motorway in Greece, with a total length of 277km.

Section	Length	Description
ELEFSINA-KORINTHOS Elesfina-Thiva I/C to Ancient Korinthos I/C	64 km.	Existing motorway – refurbishment works
KORINTHOS–PATRAS Ancient Korinthos I/C to Κ1 I/C of Patras Bypass	120 km.	Construction of new motorway along the existing alignment
PATRAS BYPASS Patras Bypass: From the First I/C (K1) to the last I/C (Κ7, Midilogli)	18 km.	Existing motorway - refurbishment works
PATRAS-PYRGOS Midilogli I/C to Pyrgos I/C	75 km.	Construction of a new 13km motorway on the existing alignment, and 62 km on a new alignment
Total	277 km.

*I/C: Interchange

Technical features
Section	Elefsina - Korinthos	Korinthos - Patras	Patras Bypass	Patras - Pyrgos	TOTAL
Interchanges	11	13	5	8	37
Overpasses	13	22	3	27	65
Underpasses	37	140	27	37	241
Bridges	16	47	17	15	95
Tunnels	5	12	12	-	29
Tunnels length (m)	4.473	16.011	5.117	-	25.601
Culverts	154	165	50	150	519
MSS	1	5	0	2	8 (15)*
Technical Bases / TMC	1/1	3/1	-	1	5
Total length (km)	64	120	18	75	277

*All MSSs are bidirectional (on both directions), except Zevgolatio MSS (only in the direction to Athens).

Tabs will be inserted here

Since the very first day of the Concession Project, in 2008, the construction interventions started to upgrade the existing sections of the motorway, (Elefsina-Korinthos section and Patras Bypass), which included among others:

Replacement of the steel safety barriers on the median with concrete New Jersey barriers;
Reconstruction of the pavement and repainting of the marking;
Arrangement of the slopes and construction of rockfall protection systems;
Overall redesign and gradual replacement of the signage;
Full restoration of the road lighting and of the electromechanical infrastructure;
Installation of an integrated asset management system (cameras, electronic signs, roadside emergency telephones, traffic recording and automatic video incident detection systems, road noise and air pollution measuring stations, etc.);
Installation of noise barriers and repair of the fencing;
Refurbishment of the tunnel infrastructure and equipment;
Construction of safe roadside parking areas along the motorway;

To date, 111 bridges, 17 tunnels and 102 retaining walls of existing sections have been inspected, while maintenance, upgrading and repair works have been carried out where necessary, and innovative practices are adopted for the continuous monitoring and inspection of the major structures.

Korinthos - Patras was one of the most difficult projects constructed in Greece, since it was the only motorway which was constructed under traffic.

The widening and reconstruction of Korinthos - Patras section was in some places one-sided and in others two-sided. The particularities of the project were briefly the following:

A large number of traffic arrangements, giving priority to the safety of drivers and workers, while ensuring the constructability of the project (pic. 1)
Construction activity simultaneously along the whole length of the Korinthos-Patras, not in sections
Crossing near residential areas (pic. 2)
Steep relief (tectonic faults, narrow strip of land, record of landslides, etc.) (pic. 3)
Large number of structures requiring intervention or demolition
Parallel construction of the Railway Line (ERGOSE) (pic. 4)

Construction and traffic near residential areas

Steep relief (tectonic faults, lack of space, history of landslides etc.)

Parallel construction of the Railway Line

The New Korinthos - Patras Motorway in numbers
Section	New Korinthos - Patra Motorway
Interchanges	13
Overpasses	22
Underpasses	140
Tunnels	12
Bridges	47
Total Length of Tunnels	16 km
Culverts	165
Motorists Service Stations (MSS)	5
Τechnical Bases /TMC	3/1
Total Length (km)	120,00

It is estimated that about 800 people will be employed in the three (3) worksites of Patras-Pyrgos section already developed.

The first 13km section from Midilogli to Kato Achaia consists in the widening of the existing Patras-Pyrgos national road. The remaining 62km are a greenfield construction on a new alignment in Ilida Valley.

The new motorway has two (2) traffic lanes and an Emergency Lane per direction, with a median in between the two directions.
Eight (8) interchanges connect the motorway with many villages and cities, as well as with the industrial zone of Patras, with almost 200,000 beneficiaries.

Interchange	K.P.
Midilogli Semi-I/C	0+000
VIPE	6+950
Kato Achaia	17+760
Varda	33+040
Kylini	46+020
Gastouni	53+675
Amaliada	62+680
Pyrgos	73+840

Two (2) frontal toll stations at Kato Achaia and Chanakia.
Two (2) side toll stations at Kato Achaia and Amaliada.
15 bridges, out of which the 240m Pinios River Bridge will be the longest bridge of Olympia Odos
27 overpasses & 37 underpasses
150 culverts
7,250 m of retaining walls
Two (2) Motorists Service Stations (at Kareika and Pyrgos, on both traffic directions)
One (1) backup Traffic Management Center (which comprises Traffic Police facilities) in Pyrgos
Two (2) Customer Service Centers at the toll stations (Kato Achaia and Chanakia)