Egnatía Odós

The Odon Egnatía (in Greek Εγνατία Οδός) is a Greek highway that follows in part the layout of the ancient Via Egnatia. The Egnatía Odós motorway branch of the E90

In the 1990s, construction of the modern Egnatia Odos in Greece, also known as National Road 2, began. The new highway, with a total length of 670 km (now 66% completed), begins at the Greek- Turkish port on the river Evros, and after 76 tunnels of 99 km combined length and 1650 bridges, terminates in the Greek western port of Igoumenitsa, which is connected with the ports of Brindisi, Bari, Ancona and Venice (Italy) by ferries. It has sophisticated electronic surveillance measures, SCADA controls for tunnel lighting and ventilation and advanced vehicle collision absorption measurements.

From Evros to Thessaloniki, the new motorway runs parallel to the old Via, sometimes even coinciding with it. This part is largely finished (except the Nestos bridge). The other part of the motorway from Thessaloniki to Ioannina is largely unfinished. This is the most stimulating part, and perhaps the largest construction ever undertaken by modern Greece, having been designed to traverse the mountainous regions of Macedonia and Epirus. In mid-2005, the decisive Polymylos-Kastania segment was delivered. This segment goes literally by the depression of the Vermion mountains and has numerous tunnels and high bridges, connecting Thessaloniki with Kozani. Similar works in the Pindo mountain range (from Grevena to Ioannina) are delayed due to environmental issues regarding the destruction of the endangered brown bear habitat. However, a new route has been proposed in 2003, and this part is expected to be completed in 2008. The tunnels of the modern Via Egnatia connecting Central and Western Macedonia.

In addition to the main motorway, three perpendicular auxiliary motorways are under construction to connect major cities, ports and airports in Macedonia by motorway.

The entire cost of the project is estimated at about 5.9 trillion euros until it is completed in 2009 and is probably the most ambitious and expensive public work ever undertaken in modern Greece. Its international denomination is E-90.

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