The Lamia-Kalambaka section of the Central Greece Highway E65 was opened to traffic today.
The inauguration took place today in the presence of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras, and the president of TERNA, Giorgos Peristeris, who in their speeches referred to the benefits for motorists, for the development of the interconnected areas, the local economies and for tourism.
With the delivery of the two new sections of the E65, a total of 136 km of modern, safe highway will be put into traffic from this evening, from the Karpenisi junction outside Lamia to the Uneven Kalambaka Junction, significantly reducing the travel time from the capital even Meteora.
Tolls and tolls
Entering ATHE (E75) on the E65, a driver will have traveled 136 kilometers by the time he reaches Kalambaka.
In front of him he will meet 3 frontal toll stations:
In Lianokladi, Sofades and Trikala.
It should be noted that later with the completion of the entire E65, another frontal station will operate in Oxyneia, at the 152nd kilometer.
Those entering the E65 on the above 136 km section will have 4 lateral toll stations:
Anavras, Proastiou, Trikala and Kalambakas.
To serve motorists, 3 SEA stations are planned (Lianokladiou, Sofadon and Raxas), but only the Sofadon SEA stations are in operation.
The technical characteristics of the E65
The technical characteristics of the 136 kilometers of E65 manufactured by TERNA include:
- 11 Uneven Interchanges (Gorgopotamou, Karpenisiou, Xyniada, Anavra, Sofadon, Karditsa, Proastiou, Trikala, Vasiliki and Kalambaka) & 4 Semi-interchanges (A.TH.E Anthilis, Smokovo and Loggou)
- 3 twin tunnels, with the largest being Tunnel T2, 3 km long (Othrios mountain range, Moschokaria)
- 31 Bridges, the most important of which is the 595 m long Pinios Bridge.
- 27 Upper Passes & 41 Lower Passes
- 5 bilateral Parking & Rest Areas (H.S.A.)
- 3 Control & Maintenance Centers (CMS) & 1 Traffic Management Center & 1 Tunnel Service Center
- 3 Traffic Police buildings and 1 Fire Department building
It should be noted that under construction by TERNA, are the last 46 km of the highway that will start from the Kalambakas A/C and will reach Egnatia Odos west of Greveni.
Mitsotakis: A project that went through 40 waves
“I know very well how important this road is, especially for Western Thessaly, as it was a dream of decades”, the prime minister said, speaking of a “project of enormous developmental importance”. He then referred to the problems and difficulties that arose. He characteristically said that he went through 40 waves, while he was also tested in the financial crisis. “At one point it was a ‘stump’, with only the middle section having been delivered, the southern section facing significant technical problems and the northern section being in a financial vacuum.”
An interesting point in the Prime Minister’s speech was his reference to the remaining northern section of the E65 which he estimated would be delivered within the next two years so that the road would be delivered exactly as it was designed 15 years ago.
Staikouras: Excellent technical work
“Today we are handing over the largest part of the Central Greece Highway E-65″ said the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras in his speech. noting that this is a technically sound project built with NSRF resources, a project that upgrades the road network, road safety and facilitates movement with multiple benefits for citizens”.
G. Peristeris (TERNA): Completion of the year
In his greeting at the event, the president and CEO of TERNA, Giorgos Peristeris, referred to the progress and difficulties of the construction of the project, stressing that “it was not at all self-evident that we would reach this point today”. He assured at the same time that “we will do everything we can to speed up the delivery of the northern part, bypassing our important rights”.
“We hope that next year it will be completed to its end, which is Egnatia at the point where it meets the northwestern part of Egnatia Road” he added.
