Ionian Motorway’s completes and gives in operation its southern section

Earlier today, Ionian Motorway’s opening section in the South, Antirrio-Klokova was released to traffic thus creating a continuous covered motorway, 102 km long, featuring 2 lanes, plus shoulder, per direction. Time distance between Antirrio and Amfilohia will now be reduced to just 50 minutes compared to 1 hour and 35 minutes before the completion of the new sections. It is reminded that another road section between Sellades Artas and Perdika Ioanninon areas, with an overall length of 53 km, is also operational. 

The new section, connecting Rio-Antirrio Bridge with Ionian Motorway and ending just before Klokova Tunnel, also features important technical characteristics like Makinia twin tunnels (500 m. each) and Antirrio Interchange. It is impressive that travel time between Antirrio and Ioannina will drop to 2 hours and a few minutes, considerably less than the long 3,5 hours needed with the use of the existing, old road, and when fully completed, just 1 hour and 30 minutes (!). Protracted expropriations was the main reason for the section’s delay.

Pending construction works, expected to be completed by the end of July, are between Amfilochia and Sellades (beginning of Arta Detour) as well as Perdika and Kosmira Ioanninon (Ionian Motorway’s ending in the North and connection with Egnatia Motorway).

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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