greece interstate 5

Greece Interstate 5 is a highway in Western Greece. It runs from 2 km south of Rio at GR-8/GR-9 (westbound), or at the beginning of the Patras By-Pass in the south up to the city centre of Ioannina. It is now connected with a new bridge, the Rio-Antirio Bridge and for 5 km is a joint with GR-48 and E65. For the entire length, it is part of E55. Now the highway is divided from south of Rio to west of Antirio, and near Fragouleika. It runs on the east side of the Ambracian Gulf from Amfilochia to the Arta-Aitoloacarnania boudnary. Before the opening of the Arta by-pass, the highway passed about 100 m from the historic Old Arta Bridge and north of Arta. The highway has a tunnel between Arta and Ioannina.

History

In the late-1990s, a slope near the tunnel located between Arta and Ioannina was devastated with a mudslide cutting off traffic and hydro to the area. A few days later, the highway/route was reopened

The highway passes within towns and cities ordered from north to south includes:

west of Rio
Rio-Antirio bridge (toll)
Antirio, since the openeing of the bridge, bypasses
Junction of GR-48
Messolonghi (bypasses in the north and east)
east of Aitoliko
Fragkouleika, now bypasses since 2003 or 2004
west of Agrinio, junctions with GR-38 in the south
the bridge thath spans 2 km over the Achelous River NW of Agrinio
Amfilochia, junctions with GR-42
Menidi
Arta, since the mid-1990s, bypasses to the north
junction with GR-21, now further away since the mid-1990s
junction with the University of Ioannina
ends at downtown Ioannina

Greece Interstate 5

History

See also: