Determined to continue their actions at the blockades, including the closure of side roads, farmers have expressed their opposition to the intention of colleagues from several blockades to meet with the government.

Specifically, at 4 p.m., farmers at the Nikea blockade will also proceed to block the bypass roads.

Meanwhile, their colleagues in Malgara, who yesterday (Sunday) opened both roads leading to Thessaloniki and Athens, are expected to close them again today.

At the same time, the more hardline groups at the blockades are planning a new escalation after the New Year, with a nationwide meeting likely to take place next Saturday, January 3.

Farmers say, however, that tomorrow, Tuesday, they will open additional traffic lanes, as they did in the days before Christmas, to facilitate travel for those heading out for New Year’s Day.

The ordeal of returning to Athens

The return journey of holidaymakers on Sunday via the Athens–Lamia route turned into an ordeal, with some travelers taking up to 12 hours to get from Thessaloniki to the capital.

The most serious problems occurred in the area of Martino, at the 125-kilometer mark on the PATHE highway, where queues of around 10 kilometers formed early Sunday afternoon (28/12), as congestion began shortly after the Traganas toll station.

A few kilometers past the tolls, vehicles traveling toward Athens on the PATHE axis were reduced to a single lane. Traffic police then diverted vehicles onto a side road toward Kastro and the highway in order to continue toward Athens.

The disruption continued well past midnight on Sunday. One family that departed Thessaloniki at 2 p.m. had only reached Thebes by 11 p.m. and ultimately took more than 12 hours to arrive in Athens.

Traffic on the bypass roads became heavily congested, and in some cases completely gridlocked, significantly increasing travel times.