Description
Kentriki Odos is the Concession Company which has undertaken the study, design, construction, operation, exploitation and maintenance of the “Aftokinitodromos Kentrikis Ellados – E65” Concession Project.
This project, with a total length of 231 km, is of strategic importance for the development of the country and its purpose is to construct Aftokinitodromos Kentrikis Ellados (E65), from A.Th.E semi-I/C near Thermopiles I/C, to Egnatia I/C after Oksinia (total length of 174 km) and to manage and maintain A.Th.E section from Skarfia to Raches (total length of 57 km). Motorway section from Skarfia to Raches has resolved the major problem of road safety at Petalo of Maliakos. Now, all users will drive on a modern motorway of high standards, with two (2) traffic lanes per direction, an Emergency Lane (LEA), three (3) twin-branch tunnels, five (5) viaducts and high-quality infrastructure.
E65 motorway disposes the necessary capacity of a modern 2-lane motorway in each direction and crosses the plain of Fthiotida, the Othrys mountain, the Thessaly plain and Penaeus river passing near the city of Karditsa, Trikala, Kalampaka to the foothills of Antichassia, Ion river and mountains of Chasia to be eventually connected with Egnatia Odos in the forest area of Pindos. This is one of the most important national projects of particular strategic importance for the development of the country and the region, entirely constructed on new alignment and actually connects Eastern Greece to Western Greece. The design is based on contemporary national and European standards, with respect to the natural and human environment, aiming at safety and ease of users and to ensure maximum time and fuel saving. Worth mentioning is that, upon completion of the construction works, the journey from Lamia to Egnatia will take 1 hour and 30 minutes instead of 2 hours and 30 minutes today.
At present, the section of E65 from Xyniada (32 km) to Trikala (112 km) is fully operational. These 80 km, of a high standards safe motorway, in combination with the 10 km connecting branch with the existing Lamia-Karditsa axis, have transformed the trips from Athens to Trikala, Karditsa, Kalampaka and to all the popular tourist destinations of Western and Central Thessaly. A major improvement for all drivers is that they can bypass Domokos area and reduce their trip duration to Trikala and Karditsa by more than 30 minutes. Fully operational are also, 14,2 km of the south section of E65, from semi I/C e65 of A.Th.E. to I/C of Karpenisi.
The South section of E65 has total length of 32 km and reaches I/C Xyniada. The construction works proceed rapidly and in February 2023 overall construction progress reaches 88,81%.
The North section of E65 (I/C Trikala to I/C Egnatia, junction 15 km west of Grevena), has a total length of 70.5 km and its construction started in August 2021. With budget of 442.1 million euros, the duration of the construction works is estimated to a total of 36 months and will boost employment with more than 1,000 new jobs, contributing about 0.5% to the country’s GDP. On the end of February 2023, the general construction progress reached 20,87%.
You may find detailed information regarding the progress of the construction works as well as a full presentation of the project, on our YouTube channel
