E65: The blind highway found its light – Double inauguration today for the axis from Lamia to Kalambaka

When the Central Greek Motorway, better known as E65, was proclaimed in the distant 2006, no one could have imagined how its implementation would progress.

With the current delivery of the two sections, the E65 ceases to be the blind highway of the country as it connects with the Athens-Thessalonica 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 Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Minister of Infrastructure, Christos Staikouras and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Nikos Tahiaou, as well as other politicians and organizations of the wider region.

In commercial operation – that is, to be opened for vehicles – it is expected to be open until the evening as it will take a few hours to clean up the site of the opening ceremony, which is 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.

In 2026, according to officials of the Central Road and TERNA, it is estimated that the remaining 45 kilometers from Kalambaka to the Garden of Grevena will be completed, where the road will be connected to Egnatia Road.

In the southern Lamia-Xyniada section, a 14.2 km section has been delivered since 2020 from the Antheli junction before Lamia (upstream to Thessaloniki) to the Karpenisi junction and now an additional 18.2 km is being delivered to the Xyniada area where the new road will “connect” with the existing Xyniada-Trikala section.

A new section of 24.7 kilometers will also be delivered to Trikala that will connect the E65 with the great tourist and religious destination of Kalambaka. All the other tourist destinations in the prefectures of Karditsa and Trikala will also be big winners, as the direct connection to the Athens-Thessaloniki highway (ATHE) is believed to act as a catalyst for the above regions.

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.

Frontal tolls are planned at the Karpenisi Junction (southern section) as well as two lateral Toll Stations at the Trikala Junction and the Kalambakas 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 part of Kalambaka-Egnatia, which remain under construction, remain to be operated.

Motorist Service Station (SEA) beyond the Sofades which is already operating, another one will operate in 2025, in the area of ​​Leianokladi in the southern part of Lamia-Xiniada, 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.