The expansion of Pier 6 in the Thessaloniki port that will considerably upgrade its commercial and geopolitical importance is expected to be ready by mid-2029, and the projects linking it to the road and railroad network by 2030 the latest, Thessaloniki Port Authority (ThPA) CEO Ioannis Tsaras said on Tuesday.

During a discussion at the 2nd Thessaloniki Investment Forum with CNN.gr Director Dimitris Pefanis, Tsaras said the 200-million-euro investment would be useless if the port is not linked to the railroad through an elevated bridge. The concessionaire for the linking will begin work at the site as of April.

The overall project investment may climb to 270 million euros, Tsiaras added, including the machinery whose cost is estimated at 50-70 million euros, depending on the automation system selected. Comparing the port with others, he noted that the Thessaloniki one serves the interior market well but should improve its container terminal for transit freight, as is falling behind has allowed the Adriatic ports of Koper (Slovenia) and Rijeka (Croatia) to take over the traffic. Thessaloniki will try to reclaim it with improved operation of the container terminal, new machinery, and port security, the Port Authority official said.