In a visit on Monday to inspect progress in the construction of the Rio-Antirrio bridge - due to be completed in time for the Athens Olympics in August - Prime Minister Costas Simitis stressed that the project was a landmark in a new era for Greece.

 Simitis and a number of government ministers arrived at the worksite of the Greek-French consortium 'Gefyra' at Antirrio at 11:00, from which side the access ramp and half the span of the suspension bridge have been completed.
 The premier said the project was progressing at record speeds and was expected to be ready on time, while the Olympic Torch relay is scheduled to pass over it in August.

 Once complete, the bridge will span the entrance of the Corinthian Gulf and connect Greece's third-largest city Patras and its sea port with Aetoloakarnania and northwestern Greece.
 It will allow vehicles to traverse the distance from Rio to Antirrio in about four minutes, greatly reducing the time currently needed for crossings by car ferry and also eliminating problems caused by bad weather.
The bridge is considered a pioneering project from the technical side, being among the longest suspension bridges in the world and having the longest deck span, as well as the deepest foundations.

 Thanking the former and current public works ministers involved in initiating and carrying out the bridge project, Costas Laliotis and Vasso Papandreou respectively, Simitis noted that the bridge will act as a crucial link between the ports of Patras and Igoumenitsa and form part of a developmental transport axis for western Greece that would mirror those to the east of the country, along with projects such as the Aktio-Preveza undersea tunnel.
 He predicted that the bridge will help fuel development in western Greece, creating thousands of jobs and opportunities in tourism.  

Source: Athens News Agency

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