South Crete Mayors Demand New Highway to Kastelli Airport

Tuesday, 9 June 2026/Source: Google News/1 min read

Mayors from across Crete have united in calling for the construction of the Southern Road Axis, a major highway that would connect the island's south coast to the new Kastelli International Airport, currently under development east of Heraklion. The initiative, summarized by the slogan "Connect the South to Kastelli," aims to end the isolation of southern Cretan communities, which currently lack direct road links to the island's main transport hub. For tourists, this project would eventually make destinations like the Messara plain, Matala, and the Libyan Sea coastline significantly more accessible from the new airport, which is expected to open around 2028 with capacity for up to 18 million passengers per year. No construction timeline has been announced yet.