Greece completes E65 highway, improves transport links and fuel relief
The 182‑kilometre northern segment of the E65 highway, linking Kalambaka with Grevena, was opened to traffic, completing the central Greek corridor that joins the Patra‑Athens‑Thessaloniki axis with the Egnatia motorway. The new route shortens travel times dramatically – the Athens‑Grevena journey now takes about four hours and the overall north‑south crossing is reduced by several hours.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Infrastructure Minister Christos Dimas presented the project as a flagship of the national development effort, noting that it was financed through the EU Recovery Fund and a 23 billion‑euro national development programme for 2026‑2030. The government also announced a diesel price cut of 10 cents per litre for August, raising the total discount to 15 cents per litre, a measure costing €30 million and funded by refiners.
The highway has been integrated into the European TEN‑T transport network and, despite initial GPS‑mapping issues, is now available on the Waze navigation app, improving safety and connectivity for both passenger and freight traffic and strengthening links to the ports of Igoumenitsa, Volos and Piraeus.
Entities: Christos Dimas · E65 highway · EU Recovery Fund · Greek government · Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The E65 project is financed partly by the EU Recovery Fund and a €23 billion national development plan for 2026‑2030.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The E65 is part of the European TEN‑T transport network.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The E65 connects the Patra‑Athens‑Thessaloniki corridor (PAΘE) with the Egnatia motorway.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Travel time between Athens and Grevena has been reduced to approximately four hours.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Greek government announced a diesel price discount of 10 cents per litre for August, raising the total discount to 15 cents per litre.
- [● 10 SOURCES] The 182‑kilometre northern segment of the E65 highway, from Kalambaka to Grevena, was completed and opened to traffic.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The E65 highway was added to the Waze navigation application.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The diesel discount programme costs €30 million and is funded by refiners.