Greek National Road 8a

National Road 8a
Εθνική Οδός 8a
Route information
History:	Constructed 1962–1973
Major junctions
East end:	Athens
West end:	Rio
Location
Regions:	Attica, Peloponnese, West Greece
Major cities:	Athens, Corinth, Aigio, Patras
Highway system
National Roads in Greece

A non-motorway part of the road

Greek National Road 8A (Greek: Εθνική Οδός 8A, abbreviated as EO8A) is a toll road in the Attica, Peloponnese and West Greece regions. It connects Athens with the cities of Corinth and Patras. It was built in the 1960s as a replacement for the old National Road 8 as the major route to the Peloponnese, and bypasses most towns. The National Road 8A is gradually being upgraded to a motorway, the A8. As of 2012, the easternmost section between Corinth and Eleusis of the A8 motorway has been completed.^[1]

The GR-8A or A8 begins east of Eleusis, where it branches off the old GR-8 as a limited-access dual carriageway. Between Megara and Kineta the motorway passes through several tunnels. The expanded section ends near Corinth, from which it continues as a limited-access single carriageway. Its western end is the interchange with the A5 motorway, near Rio, northeast of Patras.

The total length of the route is 215 km. The eastern section, between Eleusis and Corinth, is part of European route E94. The western section, between Corinth and Rio, is part of European route E65.^[2]

Construction

The road near the Corinth interchange.

Aithra tunnel, Kakia Skala

The total length of the GR-8A was delivered gradually between 1962 and 1973, replacing the older GR8. The section which first opened in November 1962, was the Athens–Corinth route, forming part of European route E94 (although the section Megara–Kineta (Kakia Skala pass) opened in late 1964, with motorway characteristics). The section Corinth–Patras was the next to follow in 1969, as a 14m width undivided road (except for the Aigio bypass, which opened in 1973 also with motorway characteristics).

Throughout the 1990s, the E94 part of the route was upgraded to motorway standards; while between 1999 and 2006, further upgrades took place at the Kakia Skala pass, converting a rather narrow and hazardous section of motorway into a state-of-the-art modern motorway, with 3 lanes per direction and a network of five tunnels and several bridges. Today a major overhaul of the GR-8A is under construction, with all its length being converted into modern motorway; that is to form part of the A8, from Eleusis to Patras.

Exit list

Regional unit	Exit	Name[1]	Destinations	Notes
West Attica	1	Eleusis east	GR-8	Eastern terminus of the motorway
	1A	Eleusis airport
	1B	Eleusis centre
	2	Eleusis west	GR-3
	3	Eleusis interchange	A6
	4	Megara east, Nea Peramos
	5	Megara south
	7	Kineta
Corinthia	8	Agioi Theodoroi
	9	Isthmia, Epidaurus
	10	Corinth, Examilia
	11	Corinth interchange	A7
		Ancient Corinth		End of the dual carriageway section
		Zevgolateio
		Kiato
		Xylokastro
		Lykoporia
		Derveni
Achaea		Akrata
		Trapeza, Kalavryta
		Nikolaiika
		Aigio east	GR-31
		Aigio west	GR-8
		Selianitika	GR-8
		Psathopyrgos
		Arachovitika
		University of Patras
		Rio interchange	A5	Western terminus of the road

Facilities

As of 2012, there are 4 toll stations in the GR-8A/A8: at Eleusis, the Isthmus, Zevgolateio and Rio. The section between Eleusis and Corinth has 3 lanes per direction. There are service areas in Nea Peramos, Megara, Isthmus, Kiato, Akrata and Aigio.^[1]

References

1. Motorways - Exit Lists, accessed 31 July 2012
2. UNECE document ECE/TRANS/SC.1/384 "Road Transport Infrastructure"; 14 March 2008 (PDF file, official E route list starting at p. 14)