![Autogrill-greece-A1_2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Autogrill-greece-A1_2009.jpg)
The National Roads and Motorways in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
constitute the main road network of the country. These two types of roads are distinct in terms of their construction specifications. Their main difference is that motorways (
Greek: Αυτοκινητόδρομοι) adhere to higher quality construction standards than National Roads (
Greek: Εθνικές Οδοί).
For example, a typical motorway (highway) in Greece consists of six or four lanes (three or two lanes in each direction) plus an emergency lane, separated by a central barrier. Entrances and exits to the motorways are only provided at
grade-separated
In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tran ...
junctions (
interchanges
Interchange may refer to:
Transport
* Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways
* Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies
* Interchange station, a rai ...
) and there are no traffic lights. Greek motorways are generally organized so that the odd-numbered motorways are of north-south alignment and the even-numbered motorways are of east-west alignment. However, there are many exceptions.
A typical National Road in Greece is usually a
single carriageway
A single carriageway (British English) or Undivided highway (American English) is a road with one, two or more lanes arranged within a one carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. A single-track road has a s ...
or
limited-access road
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
with
at-grade intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
s and with one or two traffic lanes for each direction, usually with an emergency lane on each side as well. The designation of some important roads of Greece as "national" was first decided by a 1955 decree, while a minister's decision in 1963 determined the numbering of these roads. In 1998, a survey of the
Hellenic Statistical Authority
The Hellenic Statistical Authority ( el, Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή ), known by its acronym ELSTAT ( el, ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ), is the national statistical service of Greece.
The purpose of ELSTAT is to produce, on a regular basis, o ...
defined some new national roads that were constructed after the 1963 decision.
The naming system of motorways and National Roads is different. For example, "A2" refers to the
Egnatia Odos motorway, while "GR-2" refers to
National Road 2. All motorways are named by using the capital letter "A", followed by a number (e.g. A1). The main motorways of Greece have a single digit number and auxiliary motorways perpendicular to the main ones have a double digit number (e.g. A25). Motorways have their own white-on-green signs, while National Roads are designated by white-on-blue signs.
The construction of the Greek motorway network has been, to a large extent, a very complex and demanding project due to the peculiarities of the geomorphology of the areas through which the new roads pass. The Greek mainland is extremely mountainous; the local topography as well as environmental concerns regarding the local flora and fauna played a decisive role in the final route design. In order to overcome these difficulties, the construction of multiple large and expensive technical works, such as tunnels and bridges, was necessary in many cases. Indicatively, the total number of tunnels built along the four Greek major highways (
A1,
A2,
A5,
A8) is about 150 and their total length is about 200 km (measured as a single bore).
With a total length of about 2320 km as of 2020, Greece's motorway network is the biggest one in Southeastern Europe and one of the most advanced in Europe.
Motorways
![Traffic Sign GR - KOK 2009 OMOE-KSA 2003 - PI-27 - squared - VCT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Traffic_Sign_GR_-_KOK_2009_OMOE-KSA_2003_-_PI-27_-_squared_-_VCT.svg)
Greece's motorway network has been extensively modernized throughout the 2000s and part of it is still under construction. Most of it was completed by early 2017. There are a total of 10 main routes throughout the Greek mainland and Crete, from which some feature numerous branches/auxiliary routes, as described in the listing below.
Greek motorways according to ministerial decree of 2015
A1 (Athens - Thessaloniki - Evzonoi)
Motorway 1 (
![Autokinetodromos A1 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Autokinetodromos_A1_number.svg)
) is the oldest and most important motorway of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, connecting the country's largest cities,
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
and passing through many important regions of Greece on a south-north direction. Section Chalastra -
Evzonoi
Evzonoi ( el, Εύζωνοι, , before 1927: Ματσίκοβο - ''Matsikovo'', , mk, Мачуково, bg, Мачуково, ''Machukovo'') is a town in Kilkis regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. The main border crossing between Greec ...
was constructed earlier as an expressway, with no upgrade planned.
The full length of this motorway is around 553 km or 346 miles, including 14 km or 8.7 miles of shared route with the
A2 (Egnatia Odos). Note that until recently, the "P" in "PAThE" referred to
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, ...
, but the Patra – Athens section has now become part of the
A8 (Olympia Odos) motorway, belonging to a different project.
*
Motorway 11 (
![Autokinetodromos A11 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Autokinetodromos_A11_number.svg)
) is a branch of the
Motorway 1, connecting it with the city of
Chalcis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
.
*
Motorway 12 (
![Autokinetodromos A12 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Autokinetodromos_A12_number.svg)
) is a planned branch of the
Motorway 1, connecting it with the city of
Volos
Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...
. Upgrade of the pre-existing section is under way.
*
Motorway 13 (
![Autokinetodromos A13 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Autokinetodromos_A13_number.svg)
) is a planned branch of the
Motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
, from
Thiva
Thebes (; ell, Θήβα, ''Thíva'' ; grc, Θῆβαι, ''Thêbai'' .) is a city in Boeotia, Central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeolo ...
to
Elefsina
Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest from the centre of Athens and is part of i ...
; connecting it with the
Olympia Odos
Olympia Odos is a toll motorway system on the Peloponnese in Greece. Starting from Eleusis in the Athens metropolitan area, the Olympia Odos motorways follow the Gulf of Corinth to the Rio–Antirrio bridge and the city of Patras, and along ...
motorway and serving as a western bypass of Athens Metropolitan Area.
A2 (Egnatia Odos)
Motorway 2 (
![Autokinetodromos A2 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Autokinetodromos_A2_number.svg)
), officially named
Egnatia Odos (Egnatia Motorway), is a motorway situated in northern Greece, connecting several major cities on the way. It starts at the port of
Igoumenitsa and ends at
Kipoi border crossing with Turkey.
Part of its length, a section of about 360 km (220 mi) from
Evros to
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, parallels the ancient Roman
Via Egnatia
The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . of ...
, which ran from modern
Durrës in
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
to Thessaloniki and thence to
Byzantium
Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' cont ...
(now
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
). The project has therefore been dubbed a modern Via Egnatia (in Greek, Egnatia Odos / Εγνατία Οδός). However, the parallel is not exact; the original Via Egnatia was much longer (1,120 km / 696 miles) and its western section, from Thessaloniki to the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
, ran much further north than the modern road.
Specifically, there are auxiliary routes to
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, with the main route leading to
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
is accessed through the
A1 (PAThE), as described above, or via Motorway
A27 (see below). Another auxiliary route runs close to the
Evros river in the prefecture of the same name, reaching a point where Greece's, Turkey's and Bulgaria's borders meet. Some of those auxiliary routes are not yet motorways, but typical 2-lane expressways, although they are of considerably higher quality than other similar expressways in the rest of Greece. The project (including most of the auxiliary routes), was completed in 2009, with the length of the main route being 670 kilometers or 416 miles, making it the longest motorway in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.
*
Motorway 24 (
![Autokinetodromos A24 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Autokinetodromos_A24_number.svg)
) is a branch of the
A2 (Egnatia Odos), referred to as the Thessaloniki – Nea Moudania Motorway or Chalkidiki Motorway, connecting
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
to
Nea Moudania on the
Chalkidiki peninsula. As it passes through the eastern periphery of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
the A24 becomes part of the
Thessaloniki Inner Ring Road
The Thessaloniki Inner Ring Road ( el, Εσωτερική Περιφερειακή οδός Θεσσαλονίκης) is a dual carriageway ring road encircling most of the Thessaloniki Urban Area in Central Macedonia, Greece. Planned in 1975 and ...
(''Esoteriki Peripheriaki Odos'', el, Εσωτερική Περιφερειακή Οδός).
*
Motorway 25 (
![Autokinetodromos A25 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Autokinetodromos_A25_number.svg)
) is a branch of the
A2 (Egnatia Odos) and lies between
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
to the Greek–Bulgarian border crossing, via
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
(taking over parts of the
GR-12).
*
Motorway 27 (
![Autokinetodromos A27 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Autokinetodromos_A27_number.svg)
) is another branch of the
A2 (Egnatia Odos), at
Kozani which leads towards
Ptolemaida and from there to
Florina and the border crossing with North Macedonia at
Niki __NOTOC__
Niki may refer to:
People
* Niki (given name)
* NIKI (singer), Indonesian singer and songwriter
* Niki DeMar, American singer
* Niki Etsuko (1928–1986), Japanese author of mystery fiction
Places
* Niki, Hokkaido, a town in Japan
* Ni ...
. Within 2012 tenders were announced for the construction of the 14 kilometers section from
Florina up to the border crossing with North Macedonia. Construction of this section started in 2013, finished in 2015 and it was opened to traffic on 20 May 2016. The
Ptolemaida -
Florina part is currently an expressway, planned to be upgraded to a motorway.
*
Motorway 29 (
![Autokinetodromos A29 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Autokinetodromos_A29_number.svg)
) is a branch of the
A2 (Egnatia Odos) motorway, connecting it with the city of
Kastoria and the Greek–
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
n border crossing at Krystallopigi.
A3 (Central Greece Motorway)
Motorway 3 (
![Autokinetodromos A3 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Autokinetodromos_A3_number.svg)
), or the Central Greece Motorway (usually referred to as just
E65) is currently under construction. It will lead from
Motorway 1 near
Lamia to
Motorway 2 near
Grevena and will carry the
European route E65
European route E65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chania, Greece. The road is about in length.
Route
*
**: Malmö ( ) – Ystad
*Gap (Baltic Sea)
** Ystad - Świnoujście
*
**: Świno ...
. Its total length will be .
Construction began in 2009, lasted 2 years and stopped in 2011 due to the
financial crisis. At the end of 2013 it was decided to proceed with the immediate construction of the central middle section, Trikala - Xyniada with a length of 80 km, while construction of the northern (Grevena-Trikala) and southern (Xyniada-Lamia) sections was postponed.
The middle section between Xyniada and Trikala was inaugurated and opened to traffic on December 22, 2017. In October 2018 the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
approved the funding for the construction of the southern section, Xyniada -
Lamia, which out of the 32,5km, the 14,2 km section from
Motorway 1 to
Karpenissi
Karpenisi ( el, Καρπενήσι, ) is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Evrytania. Karpenisi is situated in the valley of the river Karpenisiotis (Καρπενησιώτης), a tributary of the Megdovas, in t ...
I/C is opened to traffic on July 15th, 2021, while the rest is underway and is expected to be completed until 2023. The construction of the northern section, Trikala -
Egnatia Odos junction, has started on November of 2021.
A5 (Ionia Odos)
Motorway 5 (
![Autokinetodromos A5 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Autokinetodromos_A5_number.svg)
), also referred to as the Ionia Odos (Ionian Motorway), is a fully operational motorway since 3 August 2017 when its last section under construction was delivered to traffic. It starts from
Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...
at the
A2 (Egnatia Odos) interchange, and currently ends at
Rio
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
, in
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, utc_offset1 = +2
, ...
, after crossing the
Corinthian Gulf
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf ( el, Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, ''Korinthiakόs Kόlpos'', ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isth ...
through the
Rio-Antirrio bridge. There, it connects to the A8 motorway (see below).
The route passes through most of western continental Greece, along the
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...
, hence its name "Ionia Odos". Work on the majority of the highway began in spring 2006 and would span six years, to be completed by 2012. Though, because of economic problems of the constructing companies, all construction works were halted in 2011, but since mid-2013 works on the whole of the 196 km motorway started again. The motorway was completed in August 2017.
*
Motorway 52 (
![Autokinetodromos A52 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Autokinetodromos_A52_number.svg)
), also known as Ambrakia Odos (Amvrakia Motorway) is a branch of the
A5 (Ionia Odos) connecting it with the island of
Lefkada and the undersea-tunnel of Aktio, leading to
Preveza
Preveza ( el, Πρέβεζα, ) is a city in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epiru ...
. This motorway section is expected to serve the popular tourist region around the
Ambracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf ( el, Αμβρακικός κόλπος, translit=Amvrakikos kolpos), is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greec ...
. At long, the motorway was expected to finish in 2012, having started construction in 2009. Earthworks were largely completed by April 2012 but structures had not commenced as of that time. In mid-2013, works had begun again, but as of December 2016, problems with funding have kept the road largely behind schedule. The section from the Preveza - Aktio tunnel to Vonitsa and the section from Ionia Odos to Loutraki (also known as
Amfilochia bypass), have been opened to traffic in 2019 and 2022 respectively. The section from Loutraki to Vonitsa is now expected to be completed by summer of 2023.
A6 (Attiki Odos)
Motorway 6 (
![Autokinetodromos A6 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Autokinetodromos_A6_number.svg)
), or
Attiki Odos forms part of the urban motorway network of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
's metropolitan area. Its full length is and it is also planned to be extended to various directions, bringing its total length to . The
Attiki Odos has various auxiliary routes, namely the Aigaleo Beltway (
![Autokinetodromos A65 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Autokinetodromos_A65_number.svg)
) and the Hymettus Beltway (
![Autokinetodromos A64 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Autokinetodromos_A64_number.svg)
), serving parts of western and eastern Athens respectively; while the 6 km (4 mi) section leading from the main route to the
Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' ( el, Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», ''Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos"''), commonly initialised as ...
is numbered as the A62.
*
Motorway 62 (
![Autokinetodromos A62 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Autokinetodromos_A62_number.svg)
) is a section of the
Attiki Odos which branches off at the end of the main A6 route. It basically serves as a corridor from
Attiki Odos and
Koropi towards the
Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' ( el, Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», ''Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos"''), commonly initialised as ...
.
*
Motorway 64 (
![Autokinetodromos A64 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Autokinetodromos_A64_number.svg)
) is a section of the
Attiki Odos which branches off the main A6 route. It is referred to as the Hymettus Beltway (A64) (
Greek: Περιφερειακή Υμηττού), serving parts of eastern Athens, while it is also expected to be extended further southwards to
Vouliagmeni
Vouliagmeni ( el, Βουλιαγμένη, meaning "sunken") is a seaside suburb and former municipality 20 km south of Athens city centre. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, of which ...
and further eastwards towards
Rafina.
*
Motorway 65 (
![Autokinetodromos A65 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Autokinetodromos_A65_number.svg)
) is a second auxiliary route that branches off the main A6 route. The A64 section of the
Attiki Odos is referred to as the Aigaleo Beltway (A65) (
Greek: Περιφερειακή Αιγάλεω) and serves parts of western Athens. A small part of the A65 remains still unconstructed, and it is yet unknown when it will be completed.
*
Motorway 642 (
![Autokinetodromos A642 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Autokinetodromos_A642_number.svg)
) is a small branch of
Attiki Odos which connects
Attiki Odos with
Hymettus Beltway. It serves as a small detour of the main route and its length is .
A7 (Moreas Motorway)
Motorway 7 (
![Autokinetodromos A7 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Autokinetodromos_A7_number.svg)
), known as the
Moreas Motorway starts from
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
, at the interchange with the
A8 (Olympia Odos) and continues to
Kalamata, passing through
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. It replaced the old
GR-7 as the main road, with the section between Corinth and Tripoli, constructed between 1984 and 1990 and officially becoming part of the Greek road network in 1992.
The A7 has recently undergone extensive improvement to full motorway standards. As of December 2012, the motorway section between Corinth and Kalamata is fully constructed and operational. Its total length is 205 kilometers or 127 miles.
*
Motorway 71 (
![Autokinetodromos A71 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Autokinetodromos_A71_number.svg)
) is a branch of the
A7 (Moreas) motorway from Lefktro, connecting it with
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
. It was opened on 18 April 2016.
A8 (Olympia Odos)
Motorway 8 (
![Autokinetodromos A8 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Autokinetodromos_A8_number.svg)
), referred to as the
Olympia Odos
Olympia Odos is a toll motorway system on the Peloponnese in Greece. Starting from Eleusis in the Athens metropolitan area, the Olympia Odos motorways follow the Gulf of Corinth to the Rio–Antirrio bridge and the city of Patras, and along ...
, is the motorway from
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
to
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, ...
. It begins in
Elefsina
Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest from the centre of Athens and is part of i ...
, at the interchange with
A6 (Attiki Odos) and will end in
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, ...
.
The
Elefsina
Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest from the centre of Athens and is part of i ...
–
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
section has been completed to motorway standards, while the
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
–
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 =
, demographics1_info2 =
, timezone1 = EET
, utc_offset1 = +2
, ...
section begun construction in 2008, and was due to be completed in 2012. After construction works had begun again the whole motorway was completed in 2017. It includes the widening and general reconstruction of the
GR-8A along with some new tunnels and bridges.
The
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
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, ...
-
Pyrgos is currently under construction. The motorway will in future be extended to
Tsakona (near Meligalas) where it will intersect with the A7 (
Moreas Motorway). The full length of the motorway will be 373 km (231 miles) on completion.
A90 (Northern Crete motorway)
Motorway 90 (
![Autokinetodromos A90 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Autokinetodromos_A90_number.svg)
) is a temporary name for a motorway under construction in
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
. It is more widely known as North Road Axis of Crete ( gr, Βόρειος Οδικός Άξονας Κρήτης, BOAK) and is Greece's only motorway that is not on its mainland, but on an island. Certain parts have already been completed, as of summer 2007, such as the bypasses at
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
,
Rethymno and
Chania. In late 2014, the
Agios Nikolaos -
Kalo Chorio part (which also serves as a bypass of Agios Nikolaos) was opened to traffic. Its full length will be 310 kilometres or 193 miles
and it is expected to be completed by the year 2028.
Electronic toll system and interoperability
On April 4, 2018, an international tender was launched by the Greek government for the
Εxpression of Ιnterest for the procurement, design and installation of a satellite and
electronic toll system (e-tolls) in the Greek motorways, using
automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and
GNSS
A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pre ...
technologies. The new system would be the first distance-based pricing model in Greece, replacing the existing toll plazas and charging vehicles depending on the distance covered in the entirety of the country’s motorway network (including the currently state-owned
Egnatia Motorway).The project's cost was estimated at about
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
400 million.
The system would be double; Passenger vehicles' license plates would automatically be captured and identified by traffic cameras upon their entrance and exit from the tolled motorway network with the use of ANPR technology, while professional and heavy vehicles would all carry transponders which would monitor and record their position using satellites (
GNSS technology). 5 contenders participated in the tender, namely Aκtor SA –
Intrakat –
Intrasoft Int’l SA-
Autostrade Tech S.p.A.,
Mytilineos
MYTILINEOS S.A. ( el, Μυτιληναίος Α.Ε.) is a Greece-based industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate whose business units are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC. The company, which was founded in 1990 as a metal ...
– Nusz,
Terna –
Vinci –
Kapsch TrafficCom,
OTE
OTE is the national telecommunications provider of Greece.
OTE may also refer to:
* Ocean thermal energy conversion, a renewable energy source
* Oda of Haldensleben (978–1023), daughter of the Margrave of the North March, Theoderich
* On-tar ...
–
T-Systems International GmbH and
STRABAG
STRABAG SE is an Austrian construction company based in Spittal an der Drau, Austria, with its headquarters in Vienna. It is the largest construction company in Austria and one of the largest construction companies in Europe. The company is acti ...
– SkyToll. In May 2019, the second phase of the tender was completed and two consortiums passed, Aκtor SA –
Intrakat –
Intrasoft Int’l SA-
Autostrade Tech S.p.A. and
Mytilineos
MYTILINEOS S.A. ( el, Μυτιληναίος Α.Ε.) is a Greece-based industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate whose business units are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC. The company, which was founded in 1990 as a metal ...
– Nusz. Finally, a week before the
legislative election of July 2019, the then
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Christos Spirtzis
Christos Spirtzis ( el, Χρήστος Σπίρτζης; born 1969 in Athens) is a Greek engineer and centre-left independent politician. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in the government of Alexis Ts ...
appointed concessionaire the consortium of Aκtor SA –
Intrakat –
Intrasoft Int’l SA-
Autostrade Tech S.p.A., after evaluation of the financial offers.
Cancellation of the first tender
Although the tender for the new system had been strongly disputed by the contestants themselves, the then Minister Ch. Spirtzis of
Syriza
The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...
decided to proceed with it. The concerns regarded the subject of the tender itself, as such a wide implementation does not exist in any developed country, as well as the absence of an agreement for the implementation of such a system. Moreover, existing concession agreements with the private companies managing most of the Greek motorways would have to be amended.
In the autumn of 2019, the tender for the electronic toll system was cancelled by the
Council of State following the discovery of several deficiencies and an appeal by the Mytilineos – Nusz consortium, second bidder of the tender, and other participants regarding the bid evaluation procedure, noting that its bid was not preferred although it was lower by €70 million.
The tender was officially cancelled at the end of May 2020.
Interoperability
From March 2011, five (Attiki Odos SA, Aegean Motorway SA, Olympia Odos SA, Moreas SA, Gefyra SA) of the total of seven operating concessionaires of the Greek motorways are part of an interoperable network named "GRITS" (Greek Interoperable Toll Service), which allows drivers to travel along the participating motorways, passing from the electronic toll lanes, using a single
transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend word, blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a T ...
.
In October 2019, it was agreed that the remaining two concessionaires (Nea Odos SA and Kentriki Odos SA), as well as the currently state-owned Egnatia Odos SA, would join the GRITS network. Drivers will therefore be able to travel and pay tolls electronically using a single transponder across the entire Greek motorway network. In the autumn of 2019 technical discussions began between all the companies, testing of the system began in the summer of 2020 and it is expected to become operational in the autumn of 2020.
National Roads
![GR_KOK_-_Sign_PI02_-_new_-_sample_01_-_EL_VCT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/GR_KOK_-_Sign_PI02_-_new_-_sample_01_-_EL_VCT.svg)
The National Roads in Greece (
Greek: Εθνικές Οδοί) are
single carriageway
A single carriageway (British English) or Undivided highway (American English) is a road with one, two or more lanes arranged within a one carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. A single-track road has a s ...
or
limited-access
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
roads with one or two traffic lanes for each direction, usually with an emergency lane on each side as well.
* Additional National Roads according to the register of the National Roads 1998
Current construction projects in Greece
As of autumn 2017, most motorway construction projects all over Greece are completed.
* Part of the
Central Greece Motorway was completed in late 2017 at a cost of 1,4 bn euros.
*
Olympia Odos
Olympia Odos is a toll motorway system on the Peloponnese in Greece. Starting from Eleusis in the Athens metropolitan area, the Olympia Odos motorways follow the Gulf of Corinth to the Rio–Antirrio bridge and the city of Patras, and along ...
and
Ionia Odos
The Greek Motorway 5 ( el, Αυτοκινητόδρομος 5; code: A5) is a motorway in Greece. The motorway, commonly referred to as Ionia Odos ( el, Ιόνια Οδός) or Ionia Motorway, starts at Ioannina and it follows the western coastlin ...
were both finished and opened to traffic in mid-2017 at a cost of 2,2 bn euros and 1,118 bn euros respectively.
*
Moreas Motorway was completed in November 2016, costing a total of 1 bn euros.
* The final construction point of
Motorway 1 at the Tempe Valley opened to traffic in April 2017, costing 1,3 bn euros.
Correlation with European routes
This is a list of
European routes that shows which parts of them run through Greece.
Major routes:
Other routes:
Note: When certain highways that carry European routes are replaced with motorways, the European routes will be reassigned to the new motorways. For example, GR-7 carried the
E65 from Tripoli to Kalamata. When the
Corinth – Tripoli – Kalamata motorway was completed, the
E65 numbering was reassigned to it.
See also
*
Transport in Greece
Transport in Greece has undergone significant changes in the past two decades, vastly modernizing the country's infrastructure and transportation. Although ferry transport between islands remains the prominent method of transport between the nat ...
*
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
*
European routes
*
List of countries by road network size
This is a list of countries (or regions) by total road network size, both paved and unpaved. Also included is additional data on the length of each country's or region's controlled-access highway network, also known as motorway, expressway, freewa ...
*
List of roads and highways
List of articles related to roads and highways around the world.
International/World
* Asian Highway Network
* Arab Mashreq International Road Network
* Alaska Highway
* International E-road network
* Pan-American Highway
* Trans-African Highwa ...
References
External links
A greek motorways fan pageA page about infrastracture in Greece
{{Motorways in Europe
Highways
A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
Roads