For those who are unfamiliar with the local geography, the road through Topolia, which is the main route for access to Elafonisi from the north, follows a winding path alongside the Topolia Gorge, in places deeply cut into the overhanging rock, before entering a narrow single-lane tunnel which is controlled by traffic lights at each end. From the village of Topolia onward overtaking is impossible, and the alternate flows governed by the traffic lights lead to long queues in summer. The situation has long cried out for an alternative, and in 2014, with a route agreed and permits obtained, work on the Topolia bypass finally began.
As the following report in Haniotika Nea makes clear, it was a process fraught with complication: work was repeatedly delayed, partly by the damage caused by the storms of February 2019 and also, to our certain knowledge, by disputes with local landowners as to where the contractors were allowed to dump the spoils from the construction work.
The Topolia bypass open after 11 years of works
The much-fraught project of the Topolia bypass is open to traffic, after works lasting 11 years. A final inspection was carried out yesterday [31st July] by the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis, accompanied by the Deputy Regional Governor for Chania Nikos Kalogeris, the Deputy Regional Governor for Civil Protection Giorgos Tsapakos, the mayor of Kissamos Giorgos Mylonakis, the head of the Transport Works Section of the Technical Works Directorate for the Regional Unit of Chania Giorgos Boudourakis, the special assistant to the Deputy Regional Governor for Chania Nektarios Koumakis, and the works contractor.
In his comments on the occasion, Stavros Arnautakis described the project as “the biggest work in the provincial road network of the Region of Crete, which will essentially improve connections between the top tourist destination of Elafonisi and the wider area.”
Nikos Kalogeris said that it was a project which had undergone many difficulties, including a major storm, but was now reaching a favourable conclusion. Thanking the Regional Governor for his support, Mr Kalogeris congratulated the Technical Services Directorate of the Regional Unit of Chania who carried the project through.
Finally, the mayor of Kissamos Giorgos Mylonakis thanked the Regional Authority, the technical services and the contractor “for the major efforts which they made for the completion of the work.”
Eleven years for 9 kilometres
The contract for the Topolia bypass was signed in April 2014, with a timetable for completion of 36 months, i.e. by spring 2017. It was co-financed by ESPA with an original budget of €15,650,000 but was awarded to the contractor with a bid of €9,190,462 following negotiations on a discount.
The project remained frozen for a long period, culminating in the damage caused by the bad weather of February 2019, which necessitated additional planning to adapt to current conditions and extra funding to the tune of €4,841,000.
(Haniotika Nea, 01/08/25)