The bridge of Makronas, the bridge of Arta and the Guinness Book of Records

The Kythera they're about to break all records for the delay in the construction of a bridge. The reconstruction project of the Makrona bridge has been on the minds of the island's administrations for nearly two decades.

The the Makrona bridge project accompanied by interventions such as parallel road works was already launched in 2011, under the administration of Curly. There was even a lot of talk about the original cost, ...which was close to the EUR 2 million, when in 2011 - 2012, in a deeply recessionary period for the Greek economy, the Kythera Municipal Council essentially rejected the execution of the project, considering it expensive and not a top priority. The decision at the 1st meeting of the 2012 Municipal Council stated the following: «We consider that the above project is necessary, but its cost is disproportionately high in relation to its priority and usefulness...».

Under the administration of Harhalakis in the Municipality and Douros in the Region, the project was put back on the «rails» and finally in April 2019, after its updating and maturation, the appropriations were approved. Then the project was put out to tender, the contractor was selected after a tender, later the contractor resigned and the execution of the project was passed to the next lowest bidder in the tender. The project started but on October 14, 2020 a team of the Forestry Department interrupted vegetation clearing work from the project site as he had not been informed of the work in question and there was no approval-permit on file to carry out the subject work.

It is noted that the project had a deadline of 18 July 2021. On 4 January 2021 the contract was approved. renewal-modification of the project's AEPO, as the old AEPO had expired. Among other things, according to the legislation and the approval of the Forestry Department, an area of 12,747.60 sq.m. had to be reforested in another area, Myrtidia was selected (the project is in a forest area and therefore the relevant approval decision was taken by the Property Committee in May 2021). Due to delays and bureaucracy the Economic Committee of the Region, on 11 May 2021 approved an extension of the project by one hundred and seventy-seven days, i.e. until 17.12.2021.

The reforestation study was approved on 19 July 2021. The necessary traffic study of the Makrona bypass was submitted by the Municipality to the decentralised administration on 9 July 2021. On September 20, 2021 the protocol for the installation of the contractor in a forest area was signed and one day later the financial committee of the Region approved an additional expenditure of EUR 24.640,78 excluding VAT for the project for the benefit of the contractor due to the work stoppage for the period from 28.10.2020 to 4.2.2021 (for the stoppage imposed by the Forestry Department). 

Both the bureaucratic delays and the compatibility of the project with the legislation led the Region to decide to new extension of the project. So therefore on 30 November 2021 the financial committee of the Region of Attica approved the second extension of the deadline execution of the project until 18 July 2022. 

According to the latest information from Kythera.News  the contractor is to start construction of the project within days. It is of particular interest at the moment whether the project will start and whether it will be ready in time. by 18 July at the latest the deadline expires, before the big tourist wave of summer. There is still time if no new obstacle arises. Otherwise the project will be wrecked in the... «dome» of summer and then maybe Kythera will deserve to be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for the Makronas Bridge. Alas, if the bridge of Arta, as recorded in Greek tradition and poetry, turns out to be a “fast track” project compared to the one of Kythera!

In conclusion, the project seems to be no longer «clean» from bureaucratic and legal obstacles. The responsibility for implementation lies with the Region. No more delays. We are following the developments and we will come back, informing the citizens about such a vital project, which concerns Avlemonas, Mitata and the whole island. The economic and tourist life of our island depends on it to a serious extent and the Kytherians know it very well..