Motorway 1 (Greece)

A1 motorway shield

A1 motorway
Αυτοκινητόδρομος 1
Route information
Part of E75
Length: 550 km (340 mi)
Major junctions
North end: Evzonoi
South end: Athens
Location
Regions: Central Macedonia, Thessaly, Central Greece, Attica
Major cities: Thessaloniki, Katerini, Larisa, Lamia, Athens
Highway system
Motorways in Greece

The Greek Motorway 1, code: A1, is a motorway in Greece. Partly under construction, it is the 2nd longest motorway in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city, Thessaloniki.

The motorway begins at Kifissou Avenue, Athens, just north of the Bay of Phaliro, and continues northward to Evzonoi, on the border with the country's northern neighbour, the Republic of Macedonia, where it continues as the M-1. Before the European routes numbers were changed, the northern part from Efzoni to EO2 was E5N while today, the entire road is part of European route E75. The task of maintaining and charging for parts of the motorway has recently been ceded to private consortia, part of the deal for the construction of the Ionia Odos, the E65, as well as the bypass of Tempe Valley.

The part west of downtown Athens runs over the Cephisus river and Kifissou Avenue. From north of the boundary of Voiotia - Phthiotis, up to near Velestino, the tollway runs close to the coast of the Aegean Sea. It then continues north of the Tempe Valley and up to the junction of the European route E90. It then shares a 25 km common part with A2 / E90 (on a west-east direction), and then, at the "Axios Interchange", continues north to Evzonoi and the national border with the Republic of Macedonia. Its total length is approximately 550 km.

History

The motorway used to be entirely a 2-lane highway and ended near Katerini until 1973. The section Athens - Lamia opened in August 1962 as a 14 m width road. The section Lamia - Larissa opened in October 1967 as a 14 m width road. The section Larissa - Katerini opened in September 1959 as a 13 m width road (except the Tempe valley pass opened as 10 m road). The section Katerini - Thessaloniki opened in September 1973 as a 14 m width road. The section Axios junction - Evzoni (border) opened in July 1973. The section Axios junction - Polykastro opened as a 14 m width road, while the section Polykastro - Evzoni (border) opened as a motorway.

When it was extended to Thessaloniki and to the border with the Republic of Macedonia, the motorway had 4-lanes. It was extended during construction in the north in the 1980s and the south in the early and mid 1990s which began near the Afidnes toll. In 1995, Motorway 1 had motorway characteristics in the sections Athens - Thebes and Kleidi - Thessaloniki, while the section Thebes - Kleidi was an undivided 14 m road. In 1998, the motorway had 6-lanes up to north of Thebes, and 4 lanes from Thebes up to the Tempe Valley with a few sections at western Magnesia still having 2 lanes. Since then, the Larissa bypass has been constructed. As of 2015 it complies with all motorway standards for most of its length, except for 25 km through the Tempe Valley, to the north. Construction is under way to upgrade this part to a modern motorway. Among others, this part includes the longest road tunnel in the Balkans, which is about 6 km long, as well as 2 more tunnels. It was scheduled to be completed by late 2015 or early-mid 2016 and finally opened in November 2015. The new circular road round Athens now means that traffic can continue to the Peloponnese, linking up with the motoway under construction to the port city of Patras and that of Kalamata.

Exit list

The exits of the completed sections of the A1 motorway:[1]

Regional unit Exit Name Destinations Notes
Kilkis Evzonoi border crossing (Republic of Macedonia) M1
northern terminus of the A1
Evzonoi GR-1
Polykastro
Thessaloniki Vathylakkos
Agios Athanasios GR-2
Chalastra north
19 Axios interchange A2
18 Nea Malgara
Imathia 17 Kleidi interchange A2
Pieria Aiginio
Nea Agathoupoli
Makrygialos
Korinos
Katerini GR-1
Nea Efesos
Paralia Litochorou
Litochoro
Plaka Litochorou
Leptokarya GR-1
Leptokarya - Evangelismos section under construction (to be finished by late 2016)
Larissa Evangelismos GR-1
Larissa 1 GR-1
Larissa 2
Larissa 3 GR-6
Larissa 4 interchange
Kileler
Mega Monastiri
Magnesia Velestino GR-6
Aerino GR-1
Mikrothives GR-30
Almyros
Sourpi
Agioi Theodoroi
Phthiotis Pelasgia
Raches GR-1
Stylida
Karavomylos
Agia Marina GR-1
Agia Paraskevi
Lamia
Bralos GR-27
Thermopyles
Molos
Kainourgio
Kamena Vourla
Latomeio
Agios Konstantinos
Longos
Arkitsa
Livanates
Atalanti
Tragana
Malesina
Martino
Boeotia Kastro GR-48
Akraifnio
Thebes barracks
Thebes GR-43
Ritsona GR-44
Schimatari GR-45
Chalcis interchange A11
Oinoi
East Attica Oinofyta
Malakasa GR-79
Markopoulo
Kapandriti GR-81
Afidnes
Agios Stefanos GR-83
North Athens Varympompi
Kifisia
Lykovrysi
Metamorfosi
Metamorfosi interchange A6
Central Athens Anagenniseos Street
Krestenis Street
Vryoulon Street
Acharnon Street
Agioi Anargyroi
Liosion Street
Patisia
Peristeri north
Konstantinoupoleos Avenue
Ethnarchou Makariou Street
Peristeri south GR-8
West Athens Iera Odos
Petrou Ralli Avenue
Piraeus Agias Annis Street
Peiraios Street GR-56
Piraeus southern terminus of the A1

Gallery

References

  1. Motorways - Exit Lists, accessed 29 August 2012
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