On 3 January 1996 at 11.00 a.m., the Greek State is about to achieve the first private concession scheme in modern Greece. The Minister and the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Physical Planning & Public Works, Mr. Costas Laliotis and Mr. Costas Geitonas, invite the representatives of the Gefyra consortium led by VINCI from France to sign the Concession Contract for the Design, Construction, Financing, Maintenance and Operation of the Rion-Antirion bridge.

Hundreds of legal pages are signed this day, including the Construction Contract for the Rion-Antirion bridge between Gefyra S.A., the Concessionaire, and Kinopraxia Gefyra, the contractor, the Checker Contract with Buckland & Taylor from Canada and the Supervision Engineer Contract with Maunsell from the United Kingdom.

The Rion-Antirion bridge, a long standing dream, has become, if not yet a reality, an high standard legal documentation and drawings which reputed professionals have committed on.