The Group’s Executive Director, Petros Souretis, spoke about the major investments being implemented by GEK TERNA in Northern Greece during the conference organized by the newspaper “Makedonia tis Kyriakis” on “The Thessaloniki of Tomorrow.”
“The infrastructure projects we are implementing are catalysts for development for Thessaloniki and the whole of Northern Greece,” he noted.

Egnatia Odos holds a central position in the Group’s planning. To undertake the 35-year concession (financing, operation, maintenance, and exploitation), the Group paid a concession fee of €1.275 billion. Looking ahead to 2030, as Mr. Souretis emphasized, GEK TERNA will invest an additional €500 million for the restoration of the main highway axis and the upgrading of its vertical road connections. Overall, in just the last 18 months, the Group has invested €5 billion in critical infrastructure projects in Greece — capital that also contributed to the immediate reduction of public debt.

He added that the prestige, consistency, and investment credibility of GEK TERNA are reflected both in the Group’s operational and financial results and in the positive assessments of international valuation and credit rating agencies, which recognize the strategic position and growth potential of its business portfolio.

The New Era of Egnatia Odos

Egnatia Odos is one of the most challenging infrastructure projects in Greece. As Mr. Souretis explained, the studies were carried out in the 1990s, and construction — through fragmented contracting arrangements — lasted from 1998 to 2009, creating major inconsistencies in technical solutions and equipment. In addition, 100 km of the motorway consist of tunnels, whose certification in Category “E” was the responsibility of the former Egnatia S.A., although this obligation was never fulfilled. As a result, the new concessionaire inherited infrastructure without certification and with little meaningful maintenance carried out in recent years.

“In order for the tunnels to meet the specifications of the Tunnel Administrative Authority (DAS), major maintenance works are required, which will take considerable time due to their complexity. Until certification is completed, the tunnels will continue operating under temporary restrictions and transitional safety measures. These are necessary measures, including, among other things, maintaining — where required — one traffic lane as an emergency evacuation lane in the event of an accident, with the aim of ensuring user safety,” Mr. Souretis stressed.

“Through investments of €500 million over the next five years, Egnatia Odos will be transformed into a safe, smart, green, and energy-autonomous motorway, equipped with advanced traffic management systems, reaffirming its role as a central European artery, a gateway to the Balkans, and a catalyst for the development of Northern Greece,” he concluded.