[VIDEO] E65 was inaugurated and expanded – In operation from today Athens – Kalambaka in 200 minutes

23.04.2024 – 11.01

The two additional sections of the E65 that allow it to be a modern highway of 137 kilometers from Lamia to Kalambaka were recently inaugurated. Thus it ceased to be the blind highway of the country as it connects at the height of Lamia with the road axis Athens-Thessaloniki.

It is expected to be put into commercial operation – that is, to be opened for vehicles – by the evening as it will take a few hours to clean up the site of the opening ceremony, which is located near the Othrios 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 journey from Lamia to Kalambaka will cost the driver one i.h. vehicle 8.2 euros. To this amount if we add the approximately 15 euros from Athens to Lamia, then the Athens-Kalambaka trip will cost approximately 23 euros. PES operate in Sofades Karditsa and in 2025 another PES will operate in the area of ​​Leianokladi.

With the delivery of the two sections, the E65 highway and Athens-Trikala will be covered in 3 hours of safe and comfortable driving. The road along its entire length will have two lanes + LEA per traffic stream. In essence, the driver will use the national road from Athens (ie at Nea Odos) and in the area of ​​Antheli (at about 205 km) he will enter the road axis of the Central Road.

From there it will travel about another 110 kilometers until it reaches the city of Trikala and about 10 more to reach Kalambaka. This means that the distance of 325 kilometers can be covered with conservative driving in 3 hours and 10 minutes.

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.

A range of road safety and service services are available to every driver, such as:
A) 24-hour Road Safety Patrol
B) 4-digit 24-hour Emergency number, 1075
C) Telephone Customer Service at 801 700 7000
D) Free Roadside Assistance in cases of immobilization

Tolls operate in the area of ​​the Karpenisi junction and in the area of ​​Anavra.

The history of the project

The history of the E65 is very interesting. In 2008 the concession contract was signed, in 2009 the first works began which lasted for 2 years. In 2011 they were interrupted due to the crisis and at the end of 2013, the modified concession agreement was signed, having a global originality.

The axis is “mutilated” and its southern and northern sections are postponed for the future and it is decided to proceed with the immediate construction of the 80km long section from the area of ​​Xyniada to Trikala, which is more mature (in terms of expropriation) but creating an axis without any connection with the rest of the country’s highway network.

At the end of 2017 this first section will be delivered as these 80 kilometers (from Xyniada in CH. 31.8km to Trikala in CH. 111.4km) cover the cities of Domokos, Karditsa and Trikala and it is quite close to Kalambaka.

At the end of 2018, after many negotiations with the European Commission for financing, the construction of the southern Lamia-Xyniada section of 32.5 kilometers was signed. Construction will begin with an initial completion horizon of 36 months.

In 2020, the first sub-section from the Anthili junction to the Karpenisi junction, approximately 14.5 kilometers long, will be delivered. In 2021, the implementation of the northern section from Trikala to Egnatia at the height of the Grevena Horticulture area will be achieved as the project is part of the Recovery Fund. The works start in late 2021 with an initial schedule of 36 months.

In the southern section there is an obstruction due to the presence of a railway tunnel and it is decided to make a detour at that point. This creates the first delay of the project.

At the completion of the project, in September 2023 the section under construction is hit by storms Daniel and Elias and the schedule is once again affected.

The strategic importance of E65

E65 will be the third vertical national axis of the Mainland. To the west it has the axis of the Ionian Road (Antirrio-Ioannina) and to the east the axis of Athens-Thessaloniki.

What the driver will notice is a very beautiful route, with passages of impressive landscapes while for a considerable length of the route, the highway runs parallel to the new electrified high-speed railway line that will be operational in 2018.

The great advantage of the E65 is the connection of East and West. The ports of Igoumenitsa and Volos are connected via E65. At the same time, it will offer comfortable access to the regions of Western Macedonia and Eastern Epirus in times that are extremely shorter than now.

With the completion of the northern section, the E65 will connect directly with Egnatia Odos and become one of the most important roads in the country, as its natural continuation and end is the vertical axis Siatista-Krystallopigi, a highway that has been completed and has been operating since mid-2017

For example, Athens-Grevena will take 4 hours, while the required time for Metsovo or Kastoria drops to 4.5 hours. At the same time, through the E65 and the vertical axis Siatista-Krystallopigi, the neighboring countries of Albania and North Macedonia come closer.

In the southern part, the projects are financed by the NSRF 2014-2020 and in the north, as mentioned above, by the Recovery Fund. Independent engineers are the figure AECOM-OMEK.

The technical characteristics of the new axis

The technical characteristics of the E65 highway are as follows:

 182.1 km.
 14 Uneven Knots & 2 Half Knots
 4 twin tunnels and 1 single branch tunnel
o Tunnel T2, 3 km long (Othrios mountain range, Moschokaria)
o Tunnel T3A 113m long (Lake Smokovo, Loutra Kaitsa)
o Tunnel T3, 387m long (Lake Smokovo, Loutra Kaitsa)
o Single branch tunnel 65m long (Kastraki Kalambakas)
o A 400m long tunnel in the 175+660 (Livadia – Emilianos)
 48 Bridges, of which 35 are over 50 m long
 33 Overpasses & 76 Underpasses
 291 Box-shaped culverts and Fauna Crossings
 5 bilateral Parking & Rest Areas (H.S.A.)
 4 Front Toll Stations (MSD) and 5 Side Toll Stations (PSD)
 4 bilateral Motorist Service Stations (SEA)
 4 Control & Maintenance Centers (K.E.S.)
 2 Traffic Management Centers & 4 Tunnel Service Centers
 2 Traffic Police buildings and 1 Fire Department building

Technical characteristics by section

Southern section – From a semi-interchange with A.Th.E. to A/K Xyniada
32.5 km total length
Technical Characteristics of the Southern Section
 1 twin Tunnel approximately 3 km long per branch
 15 Bridges
 5 Upper & 6 Lower Crossings
 1 bilateral Parking & Rest Area (Parking & WC)
 62 Box-shaped Culverts and Fauna Crossings
 3 Uneven Junctions (Lamias, Karpenisiou, Xiniadas) & 2 Half Junctions (Anthelis and A.T.E.)
 1 bilateral Motorist Service Station (SEA Lianokladi)
 1 Front Toll Station (Retail Branch)
 1 Control & Maintenance Center (Retail Branch)
 1 Traffic Building (Retail Branch)

Central Section – From A/K Xyniada to A/K Trikala
79.1 km total length Technical Characteristics
 2 twin tunnels with a total length of approximately 500m, per branch
 13 Bridges, the most important being the 595 m long Pinios Bridge.
 17 Upper & 22 Lower Crossings
 4 bilateral Parking & Rest Areas
 140 culverts and wildlife crossings
 5 Unlevel Interchanges (Anavra, Sofadon, Karditsa, Proastiou and Trikala) & 2 Semi-interchanges (Smokovo and Logos)
 1 bilateral Motorist Service Station (SEA Sofades)
 2 Frontal Toll Stations (Sofades & Trikala) and 2 Lateral Toll Stations (Anavra and Praastio)
 1 Traffic Management Center (Sofades)
 1 Traffic Building (Sofades)
 1 Maintenance Control Center (Sofades)
 1 Fire Department Building (Xiniada)
 1 Tunnel Service Building

Northern Section (A/C Trikala – A/C Egnatia)

70.5 km total length – The first 25 km up to Kalambakas A/C are open to traffic.

For the construction of the remaining Northern section of the E65, the following facilities have been set up and are operating:
 Central facility, Vasiliki area (122.8 km.)
 Supported facility, Mykani area (144.5 km.)
 Central facility, Pigaditsa area (179.1 km.)
 Support facility, Agiofyllos area (161 km.)

E/X Vasiliki and E/X Pigaditsa: 780 personnel and 440 Project Machines & Trucks

Technical Characteristics of the Northern Section

Trikala Subdivision – Kalambakas Subdivision – DELIVERED TO TRAFFIC
 3 Bridges
 5 Upper & 13 Lower Crossings
 1 bilateral Parking & Rest Area (Parking & WC)
 36 Box-shaped Culverts and Fauna Crossings
 3 Uneven Junctions (Trikala, Vasiliki, Kalambaka)
 1 Motorist Service Station (SEA Raxa Trikala)
 2 Lateral Toll Stations (Trikala Toll Road, Kalambaka Toll Road))
 1 Control & Maintenance Center (Trikala)
 1 Traffic Police Building

Kalambakas A/C Subdivision – Egnatias A/C – UNDER CONSTRUCTION
 1 Technical Cut & Cover (138th km)
 2 Twin Tunnels with a total length of approximately 400m, per branch
 15 Bridges
 7 Upper Crossings & 31 Lower Crossings
 139 Box-shaped Culverts and Fauna Crossings
 1 Upper Fanida Pass (180th km)
 2 bilateral Parking & Rest Areas (Parking & WC)
 4 Uneven Junctions (A/C Grevena, A/C Oxynia, A/C Karperou, A/C Egnatia)
 1 Motorist Service Station (SEA Agiofyllos Trikala)
 1 Frontal Toll Station (Oxyneia Trikala)
 1 Lateral Toll Station (Karperou A/C)
 1 Control & Maintenance Center (Agiophyllo Trikala)
 1 Snow Removal Center (Agiophyllo Trikala)