Meeting on Chalkida’s Old Bridge – A task force was established to respond immediately to any future damage

A working meeting with stakeholders was held yesterday, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the invitation of the Municipality of Chalkida, in collaboration with the Northern Evia Port Authority (OLNE), to discuss issues concerning the Old Bridge and the management of any potential future malfunctions.

At the start of the meeting, the Mayor of Chalkida, Elena Vaka, welcomed and thanked the attendees and expressed her concerns regarding the management of the August 3 incident, when the bridge malfunctioned, and the following day, which caused major traffic disruptions in the city. She emphasized that only through the cooperation of all parties can a similar situation be effectively managed in the future.

During her statement, she highlighted that the solution is not only the repair and maintenance of the existing Old Bridge, but also the construction of a new four-lane bridge to meet the needs of residents and visitors. She said:

“The Old Bridge, besides its age, faces and handles a heavy daily traffic load, causing bottleneck effects even when there is no malfunction. We must all consider the possibility of a new bridge in the Evripos Strait, which, together with a second High Bridge and the Chalkida bypass, will solve the city’s major traffic problem.”

She also suggested measures for similar future incidents, including: the immediate activation of the bridge’s manual operation, activation of telematics systems (old MATRIX signs) installed in strategic locations to inform the public, availability of spare parts and urgent actions by OLNE and security forces to manage traffic without delays. She added:

“Unfortunately, based on its responsibilities, the Municipality of Chalkida can do very little during a crisis, as it cannot regulate traffic or hire boats or other vehicles due to legal restrictions. However, the Municipality is fully available to assist with any resources and personnel it has. A task force must be established and an operational plan implemented by OLNE in cooperation with all of us for such cases.”

Then, the CEO of OLNE, Charalampos Maniatis, spoke, initially addressing the issue that arose that night and the actions taken to resolve it as quickly as possible. He assumed full responsibility on behalf of the organization and emphasized that the wear and tear on the bridge, which has been in continuous operation for 65 years in a marine environment, has been reported to the relevant authorities and a related study has been submitted to the Region of Central Greece and the Ministry of Shipping for funding of maintenance and restoration works.

Subsequently, all representatives of the participating organizations spoke, emphasizing the need either for maintenance of the existing bridge or for the construction of a new bridge or even an underwater tunnel.

Outcome of the meeting: A task force was created to execute an operational plan that will be activated immediately should any issue arise with the Old Bridge. The task force will include representatives from OLNE, the Municipality of Chalkida, the Region of Central Greece, the Central Port Authority of Chalkida, the Evia Police Directorate, the Chalkida Fire Department, the Chalkida Infantry School, EKAB (National Center for Emergency Care), the Chalkida Branch of the Hellenic Red Cross and the Technical Chamber of Evia.

Apart from OLNE and the Municipality, participants included representatives from the Region of Central Greece and the Regional Council, the Central Port Authority of Chalkida, the Chalkida Infantry School, the Chalkida Fire Department, the Evia Police Directorate and Chalkida Traffic Police, EKAB Chalkida, the Technical Chamber of Evia, the Evia Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Commercial Associations of Evia, the Federation of Professionals and Craftsmen of Evia, the Chalkida Commercial Association, the Association of Restaurant, Recreation, and Entertainment Owners of Evia, Urban KTEL, the Chalkida Taxi Owners’ Association, the Chalkida Branch of the Hellenic Red Cross and the local sector of KKE (Communist Party) in Evia.