VOAK: Pedestrians off the road for Saint Phanourios

A bundle of traffic measures will take effect on the Northern Crete Road Axis on August 26 and 27, 2026, on the eve and day of the celebration at the Holy Church of Saint Phanourios, within the boundaries of Apokoronas Municipality. The measures were decided at a meeting held on Tuesday, August 18 at the Chania Police Directorate, attended by representatives of the Holy Metropolis of Kydonia and Apokoronas, the Church itself, the Chania Regional Unit, Apokoronas Municipality, the Chania Traffic Division, Apokoronas Police Station and the First Traffic Station of the VOAK. The central measure is the prohibition of pedestrian traffic on the road axis itself for these two days.

Instead, a mandatory route has been established for those traveling on foot to the church. Pilgrims will pass through Megala Chorafia, Apteron, Stylos and Neo Chorio, reach the Agioi Pantes junction and continue via the Old National Road, ending at the southern entrance of the church. Additionally, stopping and parking of vehicles on the VOAK roadway are prohibited, citing Article 38 paragraph 2 subsection 12 of Law 5209/2025, as well as the placement of stalls or other structures on the road shoulder, under Article 52 paragraph 1 of the same law. These are the two practices that appear annually around major religious gatherings at points adjacent to roads.

The reason a separate decision was needed relates to the nature of the road. The VOAK is a high-speed axis, designed exclusively for vehicles, without sidewalks, pedestrian crossings or lighting for most of its length, and with speeds that make any pedestrian presence on the roadway particularly dangerous. The celebration of Saint Phanourios draws a significant number of worshippers each August, many of whom arrive on foot, while vehicles park at a distance from the church. The coexistence of these two flows, during a period when the axis also carries summer tourism traffic to and from Chania, led to the regulation. The alternative route uses the secondary road network of Apokoronas, which operates at low speeds and is familiar to local residents.

Authorities announced increased checks during the two days, both for parking and for the presence of pedestrians on the axis. No specific start and end times for the prohibitions have been announced, nor how much staff will be deployed at entry points, nor has it been disclosed whether organized parking areas will operate or whether shuttle buses will run from surrounding settlements. The announcement concerns exclusively the two days of the celebration and does not affect normal vehicle traffic on the VOAK, which will continue as usual. Drivers traveling on the Chania-Rethymno stretch during those days can expect increased traffic at nearby junctions, especially during the afternoon and evening hours of the eve.