A2 (Greece)

From the AARoads Wiki: Read about the road before you go
(Redirected from Egnatia Odos (modern road))
Jump to navigation Jump to search

A2 motorway

Αυτοκινητόδρομος 2 (Greek)
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

The A2 motorway in Greece, also known as the Egnatia Odos or Egnatia Motorway (Greek: Εγνατία Οδός), runs from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. The entire route is part of the Greek section of the E90 road, which runs from Lisbon, Portugal in the west, and Zakho, Iraq in the east.

The A2 motorway 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.

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 European Road 90 number DE.svg E90 to  Turkey
Road-sign-p34.svg
eastern terminus of the A2
43 Ardani GR-EO-51.svg GR-51 European Road 85 number DE.svg E85 to  Bulgaria,  Turkey
42 Alexandroupoli industrial area
41 Alexandroupoli
40 Makri
39 Mesti GR-EO-2.svg GR-2 also to Sapes and Maronia
Rhodope 38 Komotini east GR-EO-2.svg GR-2
Corridor IX to  Bulgaria
37 Komotini west GR-EO-2.svg GR-2
36 Iasmos
Xanthi 35 Xanthi east GR-EO-2.svg GR-2
34 Xanthi west
Kavala 33 Chrysoupoli
32A Perni
32 Lefki GR-EO-2.svg GR-2
31 Kavala east GR-EO-12.svg GR-12 Also to Drama,_Greece
30 Palio
29 Kavala west
28C Eleftheroupoli
28B Moustheni
28A GalypsosOrfani
Serres 28 Strymonas GR-EO-2.svg GR-2 GR-EO-59.svg GR-59 to Serres, Drama,_Greece
Thessaloniki 27 Asprovalta
26 Rentina
25A Nymfopetra
25 Profitis GR-EO-2.svg GR-2
24 Lagadas Autokinetodromos A25 number.svg A25 European Road 79 number DE.svg E79 to Serres,  Bulgaria
23B Derveni
23A Girokomeio
23/K4 Efkarpia Autokinetodromos A24 number.svg A24 to Thessaloniki, Nea Moudania
22/K2 Diavata GR-EO-2.svg GR-2 European Road 86 number DE.svg E86 to Giannitsa, Edessa
21/K1 Kalochori GR-EO-1β.svg GR-1β
20 Sindos south
20A Chalastra
19 Axios Autokinetodromos A1 number.svg A1 European Road 75 number DE.svg E75 to the  Republic of North Macedonia
18 Nea Malgara
Imathia 17 Kleidi Autokinetodromos A1 number.svg A1 European Road 75 number DE.svg E75 to Athens
16 Alexandreia
15 Kouloura
Mesi to Naousa, Skydra
Planned
14 Veria
Kozani 13 Polymylos
12 Kozani Autokinetodromos A27 number.svg A27 European Road 65 number DE.svg E65 to the  Republic of North Macedonia
GR-EO-3.svg GR-3 European Road 65 number DE.svg E65 to Larissa
11 Kalamia GR-EO-20.svg GR-20
10 Siatista east
9A Siatista west Autokinetodromos A29 number.svg A29 to  Albania
Grevena 9 Grevena east GR-EO-15.svg GR-15
8B Grevena west GR-EO-15.svg GR-15
8A Venetikos
Kipoureio Autokinetodromos A3 number.svg A3
Planned
8 Agia Paraskevi
Ioannina 7 Metsovo GR-EO-6.svg GR-6 European Road 92 number DE.svg E92
6A PeristeriChrysovitsa
6 ArachthosZagoria
5A Pamvotida
5 Ioannina GR-EO-5.svg GR-5 European Road 951 number DE.svg E951
4A Pedini Autokinetodromos A5 number.svg A5 to Arta, Agrinio
4 Dodoni GR-EO-17.svg GR-17
Thesprotia 3 SelloiTyria
2 NeochoriParamythia GR-EO-18.svg GR-18
1B Vasilikos
1A IgoumenitsaLadochori
1 Igoumenitsa – Lykopodi GR-EO-102.svg GR-102 European Road 55 number DE.svg E55
Igoumenitsa port European Road 90 number DE.svg E90 European Road 92 number DE.svg E92 European Road 55 number DE.svg E55
ferry to Kerkyra,  Italy
Road-sign-p34.svg
western terminus of the A2

Gallery

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

  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