When in the distant 2006 the Motorway of Central Greece better known as E65no one could imagine how its implementation would proceed.
With today’s delivery of the two departments, the E65 ceases to be the blind highway of the country as it is connected to the Athens-Thessaloniki highway. Now the road starts from the Anthilis junction before Lamia and ends in Kalambaka, having 136 continuous kilometers.
Today the road will be inaugurated in the presence of the prime minister Kyriakou Mitsotakisof the Minister of Infrastructure, Christos Staikouras and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Nikos Tahiaou but also of other politicians and bodies of the wider region.
It is expected to be put into commercial operation – that is, to be opened for vehicles – until the evening as it will take a few hours to clean up the site of the opening ceremony located near the Othryos Tunnel.
The driver will be able to enter the highway passing west from the city of Lamia, approach and pass through the area of Lianokladi, Karpenisi, and the towns of Domokos, Sofades, Karditsa, Trikala and end up in Kalambaka.
The 2026 according to Central Street executives and the TERNA it is estimated that the remaining 45 kilometers will also be completed from Kalambaka to Grevena Horticulture where the road will connect with Egnatia Odos.
In the southern part Lamia-Xyniada a 14.2 km section has been delivered since 2020 from the Antheli junction before Lamia (on the current to Thessaloniki) to the Karpenisi junction and now an additional 18.2 km is being delivered to the area of Xyniada where the new road will “clip” with the existing Xyniada-Trikala section.
Sta Trikala also a new section of 24.7 km is delivered which will connect the E65 with the great tourist and religious destination of Kalambaka. Big winners will be all the other tourist destinations in the prefectures Karditsa and Trikala as well as the direct connection to the highway Athens-Thessaloniki (ATHE) is believed to act as a catalyst for the above areas.
The largest technical project in the southern part is the Othrios tunnel approximately 3 kilometers long, which was also a significant challenge during construction. Once operational, it will be one of the 10 largest road tunnels in the country.
Frontage tolls are planned at the Karpenisi Uneven Junction (southern part) as well as two lateral Toll Stations at the Trikala Uneven Junction and the Kalambaka Uneven Junction (northern section). In the future, the frontal Toll Station in Oxyneia and the side Toll Station on the A/K Agiophyllum – Karperos, both in the northern section of Kalambaka-Egnatia, which remain under construction, remain to be operated.
Service Station Motorists (SEA) beyond the Sofas which is already operating, in 2025 another one will operate in its area Leianokladiou in the southern part of Lamia-Xyniada, while a little further north there will be 1 double-sided Parking & Rest Area (Parking & WC). In the northern part SEA will operate in the future in the area of Raxa Trikala, probably when the northern part is also completed. The operation and maintenance of the road is undertaken by Central Road SA. The Contracting Authority of E65 is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
