Thessaloniki's port expansion to triple container traffic with new sixth dock

Thessaloniki's port will get a sixth dock, modernizing its facilities and turning it into a major regional transit hub, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday. Road and rail access to the port and city will also be upgraded.

"The port of Thessaloniki is the hidden asset of the city, of Macedonia and northern Greece," Mitsotakis said. "This investment will increase capacity and transform it into a full transit hub, at a time when the country is fully leveraging its location."

The dock, expected to be finished in three years, is the city's largest private project, Thessaloniki Port Authority CEO Yiannis Tsaras said. Container traffic could triple from 500,000 to 1.5 million, allowing Thessaloniki to compete with other regional ports.

Tsaras added that investments since 2018 have improved the port and made it more accessible to the city. Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of connectivity, calling the port "the natural gateway to the western side of the city." He said the project, including road and rail links, should be fully operational within three years.