The signing of the contract in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis.
Final Stage Begins for BOAK with Contract Signing for Heraklion Section
The contract signing for the Heraklion to Chania section of the Northern Road Axis of Crete (BOAK) is happening right now at the Heraklion Cultural Conference Centre. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is there and will speak before the official signing goes ahead.
GEK TERNA is set to be the main contractor. This stretch covers 157 kilometres, which is about 70% of the new Cretan highway’s total length.
It links Chania, Rethymno, and Heraklion, giving access to their ports and to the airports in Chania and Kasteli. Honestly, it’s the core infrastructure project for Crete’s road network, no question.
The price tag for just this section is over €2 billion. If you add in the other two segments, the whole thing comes close to €2.5 billion, so it’s the biggest road project in Greece right now.
The timeline is pretty tight. Much of the funding comes from the Recovery Fund, which wraps up in August 2026.
That deadline means everyone’s got to move fast. Demonstrators from Sitia even came by bus to the event, waving banners and chanting.
They’re pushing for the Prime Minister to keep his word on a fully connected BOAK route all the way from Kissamos to Sitia.
Key Project Facts |
Details |
|---|---|
Length of Heraklion-Chania |
157 kilometres |
Percentage of total highway |
~70% |
Estimated cost (this section) |
Over €2 billion |
Total combined cost |
About €2.5 billion |
Funding source |
Recovery Fund |
Recovery Fund deadline |
August 2026 |
Main contractor |
GEK TERNA |
The new road will allow for speeds up to 130 km/h, which should cut travel times across Crete. That’s a big deal for transport, safety, and just getting around.
Contract signed today for the Chania-Heraklion section of the North Crete motorway
Today’s contract signing for the Chania-Heraklion highway section is kind of a big moment. Government folks, the Prime Minister, and local leaders are all in the room.
This contract means the Northern Crete Highway is finally moving from years of planning to actual building. GEK TERNA, who’s handling the project, already manages over 2,000 kilometres of motorways in Greece, including the Egnatia Odos.
Work will kick off after technical studies, approvals, and land issues get sorted. That’s going to take a few months, realistically.
They’ll set up at least three construction sites along the route. Each one will need staff and resources to keep things running at the same time.
About 2,000 people are expected to get jobs from this—some on-site, some in support roles. The highway itself will be a controlled-access motorway, which is a huge upgrade.
The current road has a reputation for serious accidents and has seen too many lives lost. This upgrade should make travel between the main cities a lot safer.
The Chania-Heraklion stretch is about 157 kilometres. It’s basically the backbone of Crete’s road system, connecting Chania, Rethymno, and Heraklion.
Once it’s done, there’ll be motorway-standard road from Chania all the way to Agios Nikolaos. That’s going to make a real difference for anyone moving around northern Crete.
Key points of the project:
Aspect |
Details |
|---|---|
Contractor |
GEK TERNA |
Length of section |
Approximately 157 km |
Cities connected |
Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion |
Employment |
Around 2,000 jobs (direct and indirect) |
Construction sites |
Minimum of 3 work zones |
Project stage |
Contract signing and start of preparatory works |
Road type after build |
Controlled-access motorway |
Crete’s northern route has always been a single carriageway without a median. It’s slow, it’s risky, and everyone knows it.
This new motorway is expected to make travel a lot safer and cut down journey times by quite a bit. After years of tenders and planning, the contract is finally signed. Now it’s all about getting it built and seeing a modern highway take shape—hopefully sooner rather than later.
Inspection by Ministry Officials at Ongoing Works of the Northern Road Axis of Crete
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, showed up yesterday with Deputy Minister Nikos Tachiaos and Secretary General Dimitris Anagnopoulos for an inspection at three construction sites along the Northern Road Axis of Crete.
They visited the sites one after the other, getting updates straight from the contractors about what’s actually happening on the ground.
The projects under inspection belong to two major sections currently being built:
-
Neapoli – Agios Nikolaos section in the regional unit of Lasithi
This one’s a public project, funded entirely by the Recovery and Resilience Fund. The plan is to widen and upgrade the road, adding two traffic lanes plus an emergency lane each way.We’re talking about a total width of 22.25 metres, stretching over roughly 14.5 kilometres. It’s not a minor facelift.
-
Hersonissos – Neapoli section across Heraklion and Lasithi regions
Here, things get a bit more complex—it’s a public-private partnership (PPP) project, also co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund. The deal includes everything: design, construction, funding, operation, and maintenance for a 22.5-kilometre segment.On top of that, there’s about 9.65 kilometres of service roads running alongside and cutting across the main route, especially in the stretches between Hersonissos – Malia and Malia – Neapoli.
During the inspection, Minister Dimas pointed out how quickly things are moving, but didn’t shy away from mentioning the technical headaches—like tunnel excavation, which sounds like a real challenge.
He said the ministry’s keeping a close eye on things, making sure communication with contractors stays tight so the work doesn’t hit any unnecessary snags.
Deputy Minister Tachiaos called the Northern Road Axis a one-of-a-kind project for Crete, not just because of its length, but also the way it’s being built as a single, unified effort.
He seemed genuinely optimistic, saying he believes finishing this road will really make a difference for the island. That’s the hope, anyway.
