Motorway 5 or ‘Ionia Odos’ that connects Antirrio to Mesologgi, Agrinio, Amphilohia, Arta and Ioannina in western Greece, is a long anticipated roadworks underway that will change Western Greece, Epirus and Peloponnese when completed. Ionia Odos is considered one of the most difficult roadworks projects of Greece. The motorway passes through the Pindos sierra. Its start is at the Rio-Antirrio bridge and after passing through most major Western Greek cities of Mesologgi, Agrinio, Amphilochia and Arta it reaches Ioannina, the capital of Epirus where it is connected with Egnatia Odos in Northern Greece. The total length of Ionia Odos will be 196 km. It is part of the European route E55. Construction that began in 2010, has been delayed significantly due to severe economic problems concerning the construction companies, slow progress of expropriations, archaeological investigations, lawsuits and environmental issues. However, by mid-2013 works throughout the motorway had resumed and are expected to wrap up by December 2015 or in early 2016. The first sections to be completed were the bypasses of Patras, Arta and Agrinio, and the Rio–Antirrio bridge. In late 2006, Greece signed a €1.4 billion deal with a Greek-Spanish consortium consisting of construction firms GEK Group of Companies SA, Terna SA, Cintra SA, and Grupo ACS. The consortium, now operating under the name “Nea Odos,” will build and operate the road, receiving toll fees for 30 years, while investing a combined €1.15 billion in the project. The rest of the funds will be provided by the European Union and the Greek government. Construction, undertaken by the Euroionia Joint Venture (Terna SA, Dragados SA and Ferrovial SA) finally began in 2008 with a completion date of 72 months. Construction of the motorway stopped in 2011 because of the consortia’s economic problems and no works had been under way until April 2013. Then, it was decided that the motorway (along with some other Greek motorways under construction) would finally be constructed by December 31, 2015.
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