Egnatia Odos (modern road)

Egnatia Odos or Egnatia Motorway (Greek: Εγνατία Οδός, often translated as Via Egnatia, code: A2) is the Greek part of European route . It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of 670 km (420 mi). The megaproject began in 1994 and was completed in 2009 at a cost of €5.93 billion ($8.27 billion);[1] it was managed by the state-owned company Egnatia Odos, S.A.

A2 motorway shield
A2 motorway
Αυτοκινητόδρομος 2
Egnatia odos
Εγνατία Οδός
Via Egnatia
Route of Egnatia Odos
Route information
Part of E90
Length670 km (420 mi)
Existed2009; 15 years ago (2009)–present
Major junctions
FromIgoumenitsa
ToKipoi
Location
CountryGreece
RegionsEpirus, Macedonia, Thrace
Highway system
  • Highways in Greece

Geography edit

The route traverses the mountainous Greek regions of Epirus and Macedonia, crossing the Pindos and Vermio mountain ranges, which posed formidable engineering challenges. It includes 76 tunnels (with a combined length of 99 km / 61.5 miles) and 1,650 bridges. It is a limited-access highway with sophisticated electronic surveillance measures, SCADA controls for the lighting/tunnel ventilation, and advanced vehicle collision absorption measures.[2]

Part of its length, a section of about 360 km (220 mi) from Evros to Thessaloniki, parallels the ancient Roman Via Egnatia, which ran from modern Durrës in Albania to Thessaloniki and thence to Byzantium (now Istanbul, Turkey). 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, ran much further north than the modern road.

The project has raised concerns for the survival of nearby sites of ecological and archaeological significance. The construction of the Pindos stretch (i.e. from Grevena to Ioannina) was delayed due to environmental concerns about the destruction of the habitat of the endangered brown bear. However, a new routing was proposed in 2003, and this part was completed by April 2009.

In addition to the main highway, three perpendicular auxiliary highways are under construction connecting the highway to important cities, ports and airports of Macedonia.

History edit

 
Arachthos river bridge under construction in 2008

94 km of the motorway had been built as part of other motorways, before the official project began in 1994. Between 1997 and 2004, 393 km of motorway were built.[3] The main part of the project was completed by 30 May 2009.[4] A final bridge was opened on 10 May 2014 [5]

Exit list edit

The exits of the completed sections of the A2 motorway:[6]

Notes
      Under construction
      Planned
Regional unit Exit Name Destinations Notes/Also as
Evros Kipoi-İpsala border crossing   D.110D110   E90 to   Turkey
 
eastern terminus of the A2
43 Ardani   GR-51   E85 to   Bulgaria,   Turkey
42 Alexandroupoli industrial area
41 Alexandroupoli
40 Makri
39 Mesti   GR-2 also to Sapes and Maronia
Rhodope 38 Komotini east   GR-2
Corridor IX to   Bulgaria
37 Komotini west   GR-2
36 Iasmos
Xanthi 35 Xanthi east   GR-2
34 Xanthi west
Kavala 33 Chrysoupoli
32A Perni
32 Lefki   GR-2
31 Kavala east   GR-12 Also to Drama
30 Palio
29 Kavala west
28C Eleftheroupoli
28B Moustheni
28A GalypsosOrfani
Serres 28 Strymonas   GR-2   GR-59 to Serres, Drama
Thessaloniki 27 Asprovalta
26 Rentina
25A Nymfopetra
25 Profitis   GR-2
24 Lagadas   A25   E79 to Serres,   Bulgaria
23B Derveni
23A Girokomeio
23/K4 Efkarpia   A24 to Thessaloniki, Nea Moudania
22/K2 Diavata   GR-2   E86 to Giannitsa, Edessa
21/K1 Kalochori   GR-1β
20 Sindos south
20A Chalastra
19 Axios   A1   E75 to the   Republic of North Macedonia
18 Nea Malgara
Imathia 17 Kleidi   A1   E75 to Athens
16 Alexandreia
15 Kouloura
Mesi to Naousa, Skydra
Planned
14 Veria
Kozani 13 Polymylos
12 Kozani   A27   E65 to the   Republic of North Macedonia
  GR-3   E65 to Larissa
11 Kalamia   GR-20
10 Siatista east
9A Siatista west   A29 to   Albania
Grevena 9 Grevena east   GR-15
8B Grevena west   GR-15
8A Venetikos
Kipoureio   A3
Planned
8 Agia Paraskevi
Ioannina 7 Metsovo   GR-6   E92
6A PeristeriChrysovitsa
6 ArachthosZagoria
5A Pamvotida
5 Ioannina   GR-5   E951
4A Pedini   A5 to Arta, Agrinio
4 Dodoni   GR-17
Thesprotia 3 SelloiTyria
2 NeochoriParamythia   GR-18
1B Vasilikos
1A IgoumenitsaLadochori
1 Igoumenitsa – Lykopodi   GR-102   E55
Igoumenitsa port   E90   E92   E55
ferry to Kerkyra,   Italy
 
western terminus of the A2

Gallery edit

Treatment of 7000 high risk sites in Greece with EIB edit

In 2020, EIB and Egnatia Odos are committed to fund treatment of 7000 high risk sites in Greece.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Construction of the Egnatia Motorway". Egnatia Odos, S.A. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  2. ^ Main Road Furniture Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, Main Tunnel Equipment Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Γεφύρι της Αρτας έγινε η Εγνατία οδός". TO BHMA. 24 November 2008.
  4. ^ "Το όνειρο της Εγνατίας έγινε πραγματικότητα". TO BHMA. 7 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Ολοκληρώθηκε και τυπικά η Εγνατία Οδός". ypodomes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-24.
  6. ^ "Aυτοκινητόδρομος (Aftokinitodromos) A2 – Eγνατια Oδóς (Egnatia Odos)". motorways-exits.com.
  7. ^ "European Investment Bank to fund treatment of 7000 high risk sites in Greece | ETSC".

External links edit