A23 expressway (Greece)
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| Αυτοκινητόδρομος Α23 | ||||
Route of the A23 expressway, in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 23 km (14 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | Komotini (A2) | |||
| North end | Border with Bulgaria (Makaza) | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Greece | |||
| Regions | Eastern Macedonia and Thrace | |||
| Primary destinations |
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| Highway system | ||||
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The A23 expressway,[1] also known as the Komotini–Nymfaia–Greek-Bulgarian Border Vertical Axis (Greek: Κάθετος Άξονας Κομοτηνή – Νυμφαία – Ελληνο-Βουλγαρικά Σύνορα),[2] is an expressway in north eastern Greece. The road is the only A-prefix road in Greece that is entirely an expressway.
Route
The A23 expressway is a 23-kilometre-long (14-mile) north–south route, located entirely within the Komotini municipality: most of the road is single carriageway. The road branches off the A2 motorway at Kikidio, south east of Komotini, and heads north towards the border with Bulgaria at Makaza, passing Nymfaia to the east.[2] The road also connects with the EO2 at Kikidio.
According to Eleftherotypia in September 2013, the A23 was part of a 926-kilometre-long (575-mile) corridor through Southeast Europe, connecting Greece with Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova: however, the A23 north of Kalchas has a 3.5-tonne weight limit, making the road useless as an international route for trucks and large buses.[3]
History
Egnatia Odos S.A. was responsible for building the A23 expressway: the project was split in two phases: the first phase ran between Kalchas and the border with Bulgaria at Makaza; the second phase ran between the junction with the A2 motorway at Kikidio to Kalchas, bypassing Komotini.
The first phase was tendered on 15 December 2006,[2] with an initial budget of €85 million, and the contract was signed with Consorzio Stabile Italimprese on 20 July 2007: this section, along with the border controls, opened on 9 September 2013,[4][5] at a total cost of €90.4 million. The contract for the second phase was signed with Ergobeton S.A. on 20 April 2015, with an initial budget of €21 million: this section, completing the A23, opened on 14 March 2017, at a total construction cost of €13.1 million.[1]
Border controls with Bulgaria, at the northern end of the expressway, were later abolished on 1 January 2025 when Bulgaria fully joined the Schengen Area.[6]
References
- 1 2 "Αυτός είναι ο ολοκληρωμένος κάθετος άξονας Νυμφαίας" [This is the completed vertical axis of Nymphaea]. Chronos (in Greek). Komotini. 14 March 2017. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Ο Κάθετος Άξονας Κομοτηνή – Νυμφαία – Ελληνο-Βουλγαρικά Σύνορα" [The Komotini – Nymfaia – Greek-Bulgarian Border Vertical Axis]. Egnatia Odos S.A. (in Greek). Thermi. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ Soltaridi, Symeon (21 September 2013). "Εφτά χρόνια φαγούρα για το βαλκανικό κόμβο" [Seven years of itching for the Balkan hub]. Enet.gr (in Greek). Athens: Eleftherotypia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ "Κάθετος Άξονας 75 της Εγνατίας Οδού «Κομοτηνή – Νυμφαία – Ελληνοβουλγαρικά Σύνορα» & Κάθετος Άξονας 80 της Εγνατίας Οδού «Μάνδρα – Ψαθάδες»" [Vertical Axis 75 of the Egnatia Motorway "Komotini – Nymfaia – Greek-Bulgarian Border" & Vertical Axis 80 of the Egnatia Motorway "Mandra – Psathades"]. Egnatia Odos S.A. (in Greek). Thermi. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Romania, Bulgaria drop EU border checks, join Schengen". DW News. Bonn: Deutsche Welle. 1 January 2025. Archived from the original on 3 January 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2026.