Driving from the port city of Igoumenitsa to the Turkish border will be cut nearly in half, down from the 13 hours it currently takes, to six hours when the huge highway (the Egnatia Highway) project accross northern Greece finishes next year. The 6.8 billion euros project is in its final stage, finishing up the last 117 kilometers. When the project opens to the public next year, it will span over 640 kilometers across northern Greece.
Driving on this new highway will come with a price. Government officials have announced that tolls may be placed at points along the highway, but no decision has been made as to how much tolls would be.
In other news related to Greek roadways, this summer has seen a spike in the number of road deaths in the country. (Sadly, over 220 people were killed in July alone). While no cause has been determined (Greece averages nearly 1,500 road deaths a year), there is concern of the unusually high number of accidents. Greece ranks near the bottom of the EU 27 Group when it comes to road safety.
DF: What needs to be done to make Greek roads safer?
posted on Wednesday, September 3
jkots... ...Many Greek roads may still be poor (Corinth-Patras being the worst example), but much of the responsibility lies on the drivers themselves. A change in mentality is needed in a country where passing a car that is passing another car (i.e. a "double pass") is considered acceptable!! Police enforcement must play a role here.