Greece’s road network expansion: Big shift in infrastructure

Author: Newsroom  | Published: February 9, 2024

Anticipated transformations in the country’s transportation landscape by the decade’s end

The country’s road network is poised for significant expansion by the end of the decade, marking a transformative shift in Greece’s transportation infrastructure.

Currently, Greece boasts approximately 2,350 kilometers of closed motorways, with around 2,160 kilometers functioning as toll roads.

Despite being a latecomer to motorway development in Europe, Greece has managed to build one of the most modern road networks on the continent.

This delay inadvertently led to the creation of modern road systems, many of which are operated under concessionary regimes by the Greek State.

Key motorway projects include:

  • Egnatia Odos spanning 670 kilometers, along with perpendicular axes such as Siatista-Kristallopigi, Thessaloniki-Euzoni, and Thessaloniki-Promahonas, totaling an additional 213 kilometers.
  • Olympia Odos, currently operational on the Elefsina-Patra section, stretching 203 kilometers.
  • Ionian Odos covering the Antirrio-Ioannina section, measuring 196 kilometers.
  • New Odos, encompassing the Metamorphosis-Skarfeia section, spanning 172.5 kilometers.
  • Morea Motorway, including the Corinth-Kalamata and Megalopolis-Sparta sections, totaling 205 kilometers.
  • Aegean Motorway, spanning 263 kilometers on the Raches-Kleidi section.
  • Central Road, covering the Skarfeia-Raches and Xiniada-Trikala sections, measuring 57 kilometers and 78.5 kilometers respectively.
  • Attiki Odos, with a length of 70 kilometers, and Thessaloniki Regional Road, spanning 31.4 kilometers.

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Future expansions include:

  • The completion of the Central Greece Motorway, known as the E65, with sections Lamia-Xiniada and Trikala-Kalambaka set to open by summer 2025, followed by the Kalambaka-Egnatia section.
  • The opening of a new 75-kilometer section of the Olympic Road Patras-Pyrgos in 2025.
  • Estimated openings in 2026 for sections of the BOAK Hersonissos-Neapolis and Neapolis-Agios Nikolaos, totaling about 27 kilometers.
  • Anticipated additions in 2027, including a new section of the Thessaloniki Regional Road and Ioannina-Kakavia.

By 2030, the total length of Greek motorways is projected to reach nearly 2,800 kilometers, marking a significant milestone in the country’s transportation infrastructure development.