While our previous post highlighted the length of time it takes to get infrastructure projects under way in Crete, the record must belong to the port of Souda, where as the following report from Haniotika Nea makes clear, a project to extend one of the piers has been 21 years in gestation.
Pier extension after 21 years
Finally reaching fruition after 21 years of efforts is the 160-metre extension of the Adria pier at the port of Souda. The emblematic project will be decisive in extending the harbour’s capacity, especially for cruise ships and ferries. It is now ready to be tendered with a budget of €30 million. Speaking to Haniotika Nea, the president of the Chania Port Authority Dimitris Virirakis, and its director of Technical Services Artemisia Skoubaki, described it as “the most advanced harbour project in Greece”.
Mr Virirakis said: “The planning for the extension of the Adria pier began in 2004, and we can now say that it is complete. We have all the approvals and we are seeking funding of €30 million. It is the furthest advanced harbour project in Greece, and if funding is available it can go ahead immediately.”
The 160-metre extension to the Adria pier at Souda port (right of map) will provide increased capacity for both cruise ships and passenger ferries.
Map: Chania Port Authority, http://www.ltnx.gr.
Photo:
http://www.shipfriends.gr.
Asked why it had taken so long for the project to come to fruition, he answered that “it took 10 years to complete the environmental permits for the dredging, i.e. the undersea excavations needed to extend the pier. It is a very difficult issue which, it should be noted, the port of Piraeus has yet to solve.” Another issue is that there are military installations in Souda Bay. “Extending the Adria pier also involves the Crete Naval Base, which has to give its approval for the eastern section which overlooks its installations. We had to struggle for 6 months just for that,” Mr Virirakis said.
Apart from the dredging operations, which are expected to produce 1.5 million cubic metres of spoil, the plan entails the placing of enormous prefabricated plinths 14 metres high and 30 metres wide which will form the main body of the pier extension. The new pier “will be able to accommodate the cruise ships which are currently berthed in the commercial section of the port, but there will also be more space for the passenger ferries,” Ms Skoubaki added.
Developments at Sfakia and Palaiochora
Two other important works are the extension of the harbours at Hora Sfakion and Palaiochora, which Mr Virirakis said had reached the stage where they could proceed with tendering.
“The work at Sfakia has an environmental permit and is being funded by the special programme for the Greek islands. The funding is assured and the tendering process can start immediately. The extension of Sfakia harbour was delayed because environmental permits were needed to ensure the protection of the Posidonia (sea grass) meadows. As regards the harbour at Palaiochora, all the plans for its deepening and extension have been completed,” Mr Virarakis said.
(Haniotika Nea, 13/04/25)