No road near Lake Kaiafa

The Council of State appears to have put a permanent end to plans for the construction of the Patra-Pyrgos-Tsakona highway through a European Union-protected nature reserve near Lake Kaiafa, in the Peloponnese, after ruling that the area around the lake would suffer irreparable damage if the project goes ahead. The scheme had been proposed by the previous New Democracy government, which forged ahead with the plans despite a threat from the European Commission to fine Greece. The project was also opposed by residents of the Zacharo municipality, who argued that the proper environmental impact studies had not been carried out ahead of drawing up plans for the highway to pass by the lake. The court agreed with this view and the verdict means the Infrastructure Ministry has shelved plans to build a highway between Ancient Olympia and Kyparissia and is set to opt instead for new roads connecting Pyrgos with Ancient Olympia and Tsakona and Kalo Nero.