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1077

Emergency Telephone Number

In accordance with the decision of the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) with No. 966/2 – Government Gazette 5266/Β/30-11-2020, we would like to inform you that calls to 1077 are subject to the Tariff Policy applied by each mobile and fixed telecommunications network operator. For further information, please visit the website of your network operator as well as the website of the Price Observatory for Telecommunication and Postal Retail Services of EETT.

2314 172750

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Egnatia Odos

Via Egnatia was one of the two main roads of the Roman Empire leading to Rome, serving as the overseas extension of the Via Traiana. It crossed Greece from Dyrrachium to Thessaloniki and on to the Evros region. Built between 146 and 120 BC along an ancient route, it served military, commercial, and cultural purposes from Roman times until the 16th century, linking the Adriatic with the Black Sea and facilitating the movement of goods, people, ideas, and art.

Today, the motorway known as Egnatia Odos stretches for 658 km from Igoumenitsa in Thesprotia to Kipoi in Evros. It serves and connects nine regions: Thesprotia, Ioannina, Grevena, Kozani, Imathia, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Xanthi, and Rodopi. It forms Northern Greece’s primary east–west axis, linking major urban centers, ports, and key entry points.

It is of key importance for regional development, as it:

  1. Passes through 11 cities: Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Metsovo, Grevena, Kozani, Veria, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Xanthi, Komotini, and Alexandroupoli, as well as 332 local communities.
  2. Connects to the borders with Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
  3. Links the ports of Igoumenitsa, Thessaloniki, Kavala, and Alexandroupoli, plus airports in Ioannina, Kastoria, Kozani, and others.
  4. Serves 30 tourist tourist destinations and the industrial zones of Ioannina, Florina, Edessa, Thessaloniki, Kilkis, Serres, Drama, Xanthi, Komotini, and Alexandroupoli.

Key technical features include a four-lane motorway (two lanes plus an emergency lane per direction), 63 interchanges, 177 bridges (over 50 metres in length with a total span of approximately 40 km), 73 tunnels (with a combined length of around 50 km), 350 overpasses, 43 river crossings, and 11 railway crossings.

Project Benefits

The strategic location of Egnatia Odos contributes to attracting investment, fostering trade growth, and facilitating the movement of goods and services between Greece, the Balkans, and Central Europe.

Strategic Importance

Egnatia Odos serves as a key road axis for the Balkans and Southeast Europe, connecting with Pan-European Corridors IV (Berlin–Sofia–Thessaloniki), IX (Helsinki–Alexandroupoli), and X (Vienna–Belgrade–Thessaloniki). It links major industrial centers along the west–east axis and promotes investment in transport, industry, and tourism.

Economic benefits

At a European level, Egnatia Odos connects Western Europe’s industrial hubs to the East and forms part of the broader Trans-European Transport Network. It repositions Thessaloniki as a commercial and cultural hub, provides an outlet for Greek exports to the Balkans, enhances business competitiveness, reduces travel times, and improves access to markets and services.

Social Development

Egnatia Odos helps address urban migration in Epirus and Western Macedonia, improves access to education and healthcare in major centers such as Thessaloniki and Ioannina, and strengthens ties between neighboring peoples. Enhanced road connectivity with major urban hubs reduces the sense of isolation in remote and mountainous areas, reinforcing social cohesion and improving residents’ quality of life.