Customs facilities at Bahçeköy and Çörekköy undergoing major redevelopment
The customs checkpoints at Bahçeköy and Çörekköy in Greece’s Meriç region are entering a major redevelopment phase, aimed at upgrading border infrastructure and improving traffic flow and services at two of the country’s most critical border crossings with Türkiye.
At the Kipi border station, preliminary works have already begun as part of a broader upgrade and expansion project. Current activities focus on the construction of a peripheral road, which forms part of a comprehensive redevelopment plan. The total budget for the Bahçeköy project stands at €13 million.
According to Nafsika Stavridou, an engineer at the Directorate of Technical Inspections of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia–Thrace, the project includes architectural and energy upgrades to existing facilities, reorganization of traffic and operational activities, and substantial improvements to passport control, customs, phytosanitary, and veterinary services. The goal is to enhance service quality while adopting best practices, within the spatial and regulatory constraints of the site.
Works at Kipi include road construction, concrete structures, the erection of new buildings, aesthetic and energy upgrades to existing infrastructure, demolitions of outdated structures, and other related construction activities.
New Customs Facility Planned for Çörekköy
Meanwhile, plans for a new customs station at Çörekköy, with an estimated cost of €15 million, have advanced significantly. The master plan for relocating the customs facility outside the residential area has been completed, a move intended to alleviate long-standing congestion problems affecting residents and visitors, especially in recent years amid increased cross-border traffic.
The project is currently exploring cooperation mechanisms between the Decentralized Administration and the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with the aim of implementation through a programmatic agreement. Due to its strategic importance as a key border crossing, the Kastanies project has been classified as a project of strategic significance.
Designs presented at a recent meeting of the Meriç (Evros) Reconstruction Committee outline a modern, two-story building covering approximately 2.5 hectares, equipped with automated control systems, isobox inspection units, and the use of renewable energy sources.
Additional features include a circular plaza allowing for future expansion, dedicated facilities for phytosanitary and veterinary inspections—services not currently available at the existing customs station—and traffic lanes designed according to the police’s “fishbone” model, enabling vertical checks and secondary vehicle inspections. A separate lane for buses is also предусмотрed.
The new site will further include sewage infrastructure with a biological treatment system, as well as a parking area for confiscated vehicles.
Greece–Türkiye Cross-Border Bridge
During the same committee meeting, Secretary General for Infrastructure Dimitris Anagnopoulos also referred to ongoing and planned infrastructure projects, including the Greece–Türkiye cross-border bridge, with a budget of €70 million. He noted that all studies for the bridge have been completed, tender documents prepared, and that a joint planning and monitoring committee will oversee remaining issues related to tendering, construction, and operation.
The combined projects are expected to significantly enhance border efficiency, security, and regional connectivity in northeastern Greece.
