Central Greece Motorway E-65: the Lamia-Xyniada section ready by the end of 2021

In a year from today, it is estimated that the southern part of the highway of Central Greece, better known as E65, Lamia-Xyniada will operate. According to data of the concessionaire, the percentage of progress amounts to 61.8%, i.e. almost 2/3 of the total construction of the department.

If we compare the progress of the department in relation to a year ago, then we will find that in a year that was very difficult and full of adversity, the progress in Lamia-Xiniada amounts to 27% (last year it was 34.33%). It is to be reminded that the projects started at the beginning of 2019 with a construction duration of 36 months. The projects are constructed by TERNA, while the operation-management will be undertaken by Central Road SA, companies of the GEK TERNA group. The contracting authority is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

2020 was the most difficult year for construction after the financial crisis as there is great difficulty, both in the movement of staff and in the purchase of supplies and services. Nevertheless, the works on the highway have covered a large part and now passing in 2021, there is the belief that the project will be able to be completed and next Christmas, the road users will be able to reach quickly and safely the areas of Evritania and of Western Thessaly.

Another 400 meters to open the Othrios Tunnel

With the operation of the Lamia-Xyniada 32.5 km long section, the E65 will cease to be the “blind” highway and will be united in the area of ​​Lamia (Anthili), with the network of highways of the country. Drivers will now be able to use a functional 111 km road that will temporarily end in Trikala (as the works for the northern part remain).

The southern part of the E65, Lamia-Xiniada, starts from the 203rd km of the Athens-Thessaloniki highway (ATHE), a few kilometers before the entrance of the city of Lamia.

The most important technical project in this section is the 3 km long Othrios Tunnel, which at its northern end will be “buttoned” in Xyniada with the existing highway. In the twin tunnel Othrios, the opening and the temporary support have been completed in 2.6 km, that is, there are less than 400 meters left to be “drilled”.

In the individual progress of the project, the bridges and the various techniques show a progress of 71.7%, the asphalt pavements 49.6% and the earthworks 54.8%.

The project of the Lamia-Xyniada E65 department is one of the projects claiming the title of the project of the year 2020.

The northern part of Trikala-Egnatia

Recently it has become known that the construction of the 64 km long northern part of the E65 from Trikala to the Garden of Grevena, has been proposed for financing by the Recovery Fund.

The € 400 million project has successfully completed the approval phase by the Commission and is awaiting the final green light from the cross-sectoral Directorate. Once this is done, then the countdown to its construction will begin.

With the securing of the financing, the concession contract will be re-amended, ratified by the Parliament and the construction will start. The duration of the projects has been estimated at 36 months and the operation of the northern part is roughly placed until the end of 2024.

The operation of the northern part will signal the completion of the entire E65 highway, which will now start from Lamia and end in connection with the Egnatia Odos in Grevena. It will be a 175km axis, which will run through 3 different Regions (Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia) and will directly affect transport in a fourth region, which is Epirus.

The full activation of the E65 will transform and bring reorganizations in road transport and will create another national axis that will lead to the northern border with the assistance of the vertical axis Siatista-Krystallopigi further strengthening the role of Greece as a crossroads between Europe- Asia and Africa.