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 (2009)–present
Major junctions
FromIgoumenitsa
ToKipoi
Location
CountryGreece
RegionsEpirus, Macedonia, Thrace
Highway system
  • Highways in Greece

Geography

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

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

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

Treatment of 7000 high risk sites in Greece with EIB

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

References

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