Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier this week, presented the key principles of the so-called National Recovery and Resilience Plan for the day after the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the mega-plan, dubbed Greece 2.0 – the country will take on 170 projects that include infrastructure, investments and reforms. The projects will create 200,00 jobs and move 57 billion euros adding up to the GDP.
Among those major undertakings will be the construction of two highways across northern Crete and the E65 highway in central Greece, which will be financed by the Eureopan Union from a 750 billion euro recovery fund that will be jointly borrowed and repaid by the whole 27-nation bloc.
Mr Mitsotakis said that the new Cretan highway estimated to reach 300 kilometres and cost two billion euros has been pending for a long time adding that it is imperative that the island stops being left behind when it comes to progress due to road quality and safety.
Meanwhile, the Cretan highway alone is set to create 150.000 new job positions connecting Kissamos with Siteia. The first works are meant to commence at the end of 2022 and run fully by 2024.
