International E-road network in Greece

In Greece, E-road numbers appear on motorway signs.

The International E-road network has covered Greece since the Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries, which established the first E-road network in the country, was signed on 16 September 1950. ^[1]

In 1975, the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR) created the current E-road network, based on a system of north–south and east–west reference roads: although the AGR came into force in 1983, ^[2] Greece officially migrated from the 1950 Declaration to the AGR in 1989. ^[3] A significant change to the current E-road network affecting Greece was agreed in 1985, coming into force in 1986. ^[4]

Current network (1989–present)

The current E-road network was established by the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR), which was finalised at Geneva on 15 November 1975, and came into force on 15 March 1983. ^[5] Greece adopted the current network on 9 January 1989, when it acceded to the AGR. ^[3]

There are currently fourteen E-roads within Greece, of which nine are Class A, and five Class B: Places in italics are where the national road numbers change, but do not appear in the current consolidated text of the AGR.

Class A roads ^[6]

Road	Route
	Igoumenitsa (ferry to Brindisi, Italy) – Nea Thesi  [ el ]  Nea Thesi – Preveza  Preveza – Lake Amvrakia  Lake Amvrakia – Missolonghi – Rio – Patras – Mintilogli  Mintilogli – Pyrgos – Kalo Nero  Kalo Nero – Oichalia  Oichalia – Kalamata  within Kalamata
	Niki (border with North Macedonia)  Niki – Vevi – Kozani  Kozani – Larissa – Domokos – Lamia  Lamia – Roditsa  [ el ]  Roditsa – Bralos  Bralos – Amfissa  Amfissa – Chrisso  Chrisso – Itea – Nafpaktos  Nafpaktos – Antirrio  Antirrio – Rio  Rio – Aigio – Corinth  Corinth – Tripoli – Kalamata  within Kalamata (ferry to Kissamos) /   Kissamos (ferry to Kalamata) – Chania
	Evzonoi (border with North Macedonia) – Chalastra /   Kleidi  [ el ] - Chalastra – Thessaloniki (branch)  Kleidi – Larissa – Almyros – Lamia – Athens – Piraeus (ferry to Chania) /   Chania (ferry to Piraeus) – Heraklion – Agios Nikolaos – Sitia
	Promachonas (border with Bulgaria) – Serres – Lagkadas  Lagkadas – Efkarpia  Efkarpia – Thessaloniki
	Ormenio (border with Bulgaria) – Kastanies  Kastanies – Didymoteicho – Ardani  [ el ]  Ardani – Alexandroupolis
	Krystallopigi (border with Albania) – Florina  Florina – Vevi – Levaia  Levaia – Arnissa  Arnissa – Gefyra
	Igoumenitsa (ferry to Brindisi, Italy) – Ioannina – Kozani – Thessaloniki – Alexandroupolis – Kipoi (border with Turkey)
	Igoumenitsa (ferry to Brindisi, Italy) – Ioannina – Panagia  [ el ]  Panagia – Kalabaka  Kalabaka – Trikala  Trikala – Larissa  Larissa Ring Road  Larissa – Velestino  Velestino – Volos
	Corinth – Elefsina  Elefsina – Metamorfosi – Koropi (via Attiki Odos, bypassing Athens)

Class B roads ^[6]

Road	Route
	Ioannina – Kalpaki  Kalpaki – Kakavia (border with Albania)
	Pedini [a] – Arta – Kouvaras  [ el ]  Kouvaras – Agrinio – Missolonghi
	Aktio  [ el ] – Vonitsa – Lake Amvrakia [b]  Lake Amvrakia – Kouvaras  [ el ]  Kouvaras – Agrinio  Agrinio – Karpenisi – Lamia
	Tripoli – Sparta – Gytheio
	Elefsina – Thebes

Pre-accession development

The current version of the E-road network in Greece came into force on 12 September 1986, after a major revision to Annex I of the AGR was agreed on 11 December 1985: the E-road network in Greece, as originally agreed in November 1975 and implemented in March 1983, contained many differences from the 1985 amendments: ^[4]

• The E65 crossed the Gulf of Corinth via the former Aigio–Itea ferry, instead of the Rio–Antirrio ferry: the section from Rio to Aigio was part of the old E92, while the section from Tripoli to the E55 at Oichalia was part of the old E952. ^[7] The E65 also terminated at Gytheio, instead of the E75 at Chania (via Kalamata and Kissamos). ^[8]
• The E85 ran from the then-closed border crossing with Bulgaria at Makaza to Komotini, instead of from Ormenio to Alexandroupolis (via Kastanies and Didymoteicho). ^{[8] [9]}
• The E86 terminated at Thessaloniki, instead of Gefyra. ^[10]
• The current E92 used to be the E950, and terminated at Ioannina instead of Igoumenitsa. ^[11]
• The E853 used to be the E851. ^[11]
• The E951 used to be the E957. ^[11]
• The current E952 used to be the old E951, and terminated at Amfilochia instead of Aktio  [ el ] (via Vonitsa). ^[11]
• The E961 used to be the Tripoli–Gytheio section of the E65. ^[8]
• The E962 did not exist. ^[12]

Post-accession changes

Nearly all changes to the E-road network in Greece since January 1989 were a result of new bypasses and motorways (such as the A2 Egnatia Odos), many of which did not affect the basic itinerary of the E-roads. As of October 2024 ^[update] , there were three major post-accession changes to the E-road network affecting Greece:

• The E94 was rerouted at Elefsina to bypass Athens and extended towards Koropi, when the A6 Attiki Odos opened in stages from 2001 to 2003: this is because road signs show the A6 as being part of the E94. ^[13]
• The E951's northern end was moved from Ioannina to Pedini on 3 August 2017, following the opening of the A5 motorway from Perdika  [ el ] to the A2. ^[14]
• The E952 was rerouted via Lake Amvrakia instead of Amfilochia on 22 July 2022, when a section of the A52 motorway opened between the A5 near Katouna and Loutraki, avoiding Amfilochia entirely. ^[15]

Proposed changes

The E55 will be rerouted away from the EO9 between Mintilogli and Pyrgos, when the next southern extension of the A5 motorway opens: according to To Vima on 29 April 2024, the expected completion date is by the end of 2025. ^[16] In the long term, the E55 will follow the A5 to Oichalia via Kalo Nero, replacing the EO9 and EO9a.

The E65 will be rerouted away from the EO3 between Kozani and Lamia, when the last section of the A3 between Kalabaka and Kipoureio opens: the revised route will follow the A2 (Egnatia Odos) towards Kipoureio, and then the A3 itself towards Anthili  [ el ] via Trikala, where it joins the A1. ^[17]

If the A5 is extended from Pedini to Kakavia, ^[18] the E853 will be rerouted via the extension and connect with the E90, E92 and E951 at Pedini instead of Ioannina.

Original network (1950–1989)

Greece acceded to the 1950 Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries on 1 July 1952: ^[19] the original E-road network in Greece consisted of eight E-roads, with the E5 and E20 overlapping between Gefyra and Lagyna via Thessaloniki. ^[1]

The following table lists the original E-road network, as it was when Greece acceded to the AGR in 1989: places in italics are intersections with European routes that did not appear in the 1950 Declaration and its amendments.

1950–1989 E-road network in Greece

Road	Route
	Evzonoi (border with Yugoslavia [c] ) – Gefyra – Thessaloniki – Lagyna – Kavala – Alexandroupolis – Feres – Peplos – Kipoi (border with Turkey)
	Igoumenitsa [d] – Ioannina – Filippiada – Arta – Agrinio – Antirrio – Rio – Corinth
	Krystallopigi (border with Albania) – Florina – Vevi – Edessa – Chalkidona – Gefyra – Thessaloniki – Lagyna – Serres – Promachonas (for Bulgaria)
	Ioannina – Trikala – Larissa - Velestino – Volos
	Filippiada – Preveza
	Rio – Patras
	Vevi – Kozani – Larissa [e]
	Chalkidona – Veria – Kozani – Larissa – Velestino – Almyros [e] – Lamia – Athens – Corinth – Argos – Kalamata
	Makaza (border with Bulgaria, reopened 2013) [9] – Komotini [21]

Post-accession changes

The original network was modified many times during its existence from 16 September 1950 to 15 November 1975. On 6 June 1952 (one month before Greece's accession to the 1950 Declaration), the E5 was extended from Alexandroupolis to Kipoi and the border with Turkey. ^[19] The E106, between Ioannina and Igoumenitsa, existed from 30 December 1958 to 17 November 1962, when it was replaced by the realigned E19 on 17 November 1962. ^[20]

On 23 September 1966, the E5 in Greece became the E5^S, due to a new northern branch from Niš, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) to Silivri, Turkey; the E90 was extended from Kozani to Larissa to overlap with the E92; and the E92 between Larissa and Lamia was diverted via Almyros, following the EO1 and overlapping with the E87 between Larissa and Velestino. ^[21] Finally, the E97 was extended into Greece from Makaza to Komotini on 7 November 1967, although the border crossing with Bulgaria was closed from the end of World War II to 9 September 2013. ^{[21] [9]}

See also

• Highways in Greece

Notes

1. Previously Ioannina until the opening of the A5.
2. Previously Amfilochia until the opening of the A52.
3. The border is now with North Macedonia, which left Yugoslavia on 25 September 1991.
4. Previously Kakavia and the border with Albania until 17 November 1962. ^[20]
5. Added on 23 September 1966. ^[21]

Citations

1. "Declaration on the construction of main international traffic arteries (Annex I)" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 92 (1264). New York City: United Nations: 98–105. 16 September 1950. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2024. "Additions and Modifications to Annex I" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 92. New York City: United Nations: 122–123. 18 April 1951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
2. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, pp. 91–92.
3. "Accession by Greece" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 1515. New York City: United Nations: 345. 11 October 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
4. United Nations Treaty Series 1986, pp. 325–336.
5. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 91.
6. "European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries" (PDF). United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Geneva: United Nations. 1 November 2016. pp. 9–19. ECE/TRANS/SC.1/2016/3/Rev.1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
7. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, pp. 99, 103.
8. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 100.
9. "Makaza, Bulgaria-Greece Border Point, Open Again 68 Years Later". Novinite. Sofia. Sofia News Agency. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
10. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 99.
11. United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 103.
12. United Nations Treaty Series 1986, p. 334.
13. "Αντικατάσταση πινακίδων σήμανσης Αττικής Οδού" [Replacement of Attica Odos signs]. Odosimansi (in Greek). Thessaloniki. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
14. Dervou, Angeliki (2 August 2017). "The last section of "Ionia Odos" motorway to be fully put into operation". ERT International. Agia Paraskevi: ERT. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
15. "Κ. Καραμανλής: Στα επικοινωνιακά πυροτεχνήματα απαντάμε με έργα και στα προβλήματα με λύσεις" [K. Karamanlis: We respond to communication fireworks with projects and to problems with solutions]. Ypodomes.com (in Greek). Athens: Infra Media. 22 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
16. "Government: Patras-Pyrgos Motorway Ready in Late 2024". tovima.com. Athens: Alter Ego Media. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
17. "Central Greece Highway E-65". European Commission. Brussels: Directorate-General for Communication. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
18. "Ionia Odos Extension to Greek-Albanian Border: Construction Set to Begin by Summer 2025". Ypodomes.com. Athens: Infra Media. 3 April 2025. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
19. "Accession of Greece; additions and modifications to Annex I" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 133. New York City: United Nations: 365. 1 July 1952. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
20. "Modifications to Annexes I and II" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 451. New York City: United Nations: 326–329. 21 January 1963. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
21. "Modifications to Annex I" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 645. New York City: United Nations: 348–351. 11 September 1968. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2024.

References

• "European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR)" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 1302. New York City: United Nations: 91–113. 15 March 1983. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
• "Entry into force of amendments to annex I of the European Agreement on main international traffic arteries (AGR)" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Series (in English and French). 1436. New York City: United Nations: 325–354. 12 September 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.

External links

• European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR) at the United Nations Treaty Collection
• 1985 amendment to Annex I of the AGR at the United Nations Treaty Collection