Greece has completed a long-delayed motorway linking central Greece with the country’s northwestern regions, cutting travel times between Lamia and the Egnatia Odos highway near Grevena to about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The opening of the final 46-kilometer section of the Central Greece Motorway, known as the E65, brings the entire 182.1-kilometer route into operation, creating a faster road connection between Athens, Thessaly and Western Macedonia.

The new section runs from Kalambaka to the Egnatia Odos and is expected to significantly improve access to Grevena, Kozani, Florina and Kastoria. According to motorway operator Kentriki Odos, travel time from Athens to Grevena and Metsovo will fall to about four hours, while journeys to Kozani and Kastoria will take roughly four and a half hours.

The project includes tunnels, bridges, interchanges, emergency facilities and a new toll station at Oxynia. Passenger vehicles will pay a total of 13.50 euros in tolls for the Lamia-Egnatia route.

The motorway’s completion marks the end of one of Greece’s most protracted infrastructure projects. Originally expected to take about three years, construction lasted 18 years due to delays and technical and financial complications. The project ultimately cost the Greek state and European Union about €2.1 billion, more than four times the initial estimate.

Source: Ekathimerini.com