Greece completes major E65 highway linking Central Greece to the north

On Thursday 23 July 2024 the Greek government officially opened the final 46 km segment of the E65 motorway, completing the 182.1‑km Central Greece highway. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The new section connects the E65 directly with the Aegean Motorway (PAΘE) and the Egnatia Odos, creating a continuous north‑south corridor that shortens travel times significantly – the Lamia‑Egnatia stretch now takes about 1 hour 45 minutes instead of over three hours, and routes from Athens to western and northern cities are reduced by up to two hours. Toll rates were announced at €4.50 for passenger cars at the main Oxyneia station and €1.55 at the side Agiophyllos station.

The project, initially budgeted at €1.397 billion, ultimately cost about €2.1 billion from the Greek state and EU funds. It enhances freight links between the ports of Igoumenitsa and Volos and supports tourism to sites such as Meteora, Kalambaka and the western Balkans.