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 motorway or national road numbers change, but do not appear in the current consolidated text of the AGR.

Class A roads[6]
Road Route
European Road 55 number DE.svg E55
European Road 65 number DE.svg E65
European Road 75 number DE.svg E75
European Road 79 number DE.svg E79
European Road 85 number DE.svg E85
European Road 86 number DE.svg E86
European Road 90 number DE.svg E90
European Road 92 number DE.svg E92
European Road 94 number DE.svg E94
Class B roads[6]
Road Route
European Road 853 number DE.svg E853
European Road 951 number DE.svg E951
European Road 952 number DE.svg E952
European Road 961 number DE.svg E961 GR-EO-39.svg EO39: Tripoli – Sparta – Gytheio
European Road 962 number DE.svg E962 GR-EO-3.svg EO3: 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]

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, there were three major post-accession changes to the E-road network affecting Greece:

Proposed changes

The E65 is planned to be realigned away from the EO3 between Kozani and Lamia, following the completion of the A3 in July 2026.[16] The realignment requires amending Annex I, because the revised route will no longer serve Larissa and Domokos (as currently defined):[6] it instead follows the A2 (Egnatia Odos) towards Kipoureio, and then the A3 itself towards Anthili 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
European route E5s E5sEvzonoi (border with Yugoslavia[c]) – Gefyra – Thessaloniki – Lagyna – Kavala – Alexandroupolis – Feres – Peplos – Kipoi (border with Turkey)
European route E19 E19Igoumenitsa[d] – Ioannina – Filippiada – Arta – Agrinio – Antirrio – Rio – Corinth
European route E20 E20Krystallopigi (border with Albania) – Florina – Vevi – Edessa – Chalkidona – Gefyra – Thessaloniki – Lagyna – Serres – Promachonas (for Bulgaria)
European route E87 E87Ioannina – Trikala – Larissa - Velestino – Volos
European route E88 E88Filippiada – Preveza
European route E89 E89Rio – Patras
European route E90 E90Vevi – Kozani – Larissa[e]
European route E92 E92Chalkidona – Veria – Kozani – Larissa – Velestino – Almyros[e] – Lamia – Athens – Corinth – Argos – Kalamata
European route E97 E97Makaza (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 E5S, 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]

Signage

Rectangular green sign with a white "E55"
Current E-road marker in Greece

E-road markers in Greece consist of a green rectangle with a white border and white numerals: the marker design is similar to that used in Germany. The current design was introduced in 2003, as part of the Guidelines for the Design of Road Projects (Greek: Οδηγία Μελετών Οδικών Έργων, ΟΜΟΕ):[22] it replaced a similar design introduced in 1974, which had a hyphen between the prefix and the number.[23] E-road numbers mainly appear on motorway signs, since E-roads are designed to follow the high quality roads like motorways.[24]

See also

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. 1 2 Added on 23 September 1966.[21]

Citations

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 United Nations Treaty Series 1986, pp. 325–336.
  5. ↑ United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 91.
  6. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 United Nations Treaty Series 1983, p. 100.
  9. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 4 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 23 March 2026. 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. ↑ Lialios, Giorgos (23 July 2026). "Greece opens final section of E65 motorway after 18-year construction delay". Kathimerini. Athens: Kathimerini Publishing. Archived from the original on 24 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 "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.
  22. ↑ Οδηγία Μελετών Οδικών Έργων: Κατακόρυφη Σήμανση Αυτοκινητοδρόμων (ΟΜΟΕ-ΚΣΑ) [Guidelines for the Design of Road Projects: Motorway Signage (OMOE-KSA)] (PDF) (in Greek). Athens: Ministry of the Environment, Urban Planning and Public Works. 13 May 2003. p. 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  23. ↑ Ministerial Decision A6/0/1/118/1974, 27 June 1974 (FEK B' 676/06.07.1974, p. 5197). Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025. Tsagka, Evangelia; Latsinos, Andreas, eds. (2009). Κώδικας Οδικής Κυκλοφορίας (Κ.Ο.Κ.) [Highway Code] (PDF) (in Greek) (2 ed.). Athens: Ministry of Transport and Communications. p. 170. ISBN 9789603370710. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "Εθνική οδός: Τι σημαίνει το γράμμα Ε στις πινακίδες;" [National Road: What does the letter 'E' mean on road signs?]. GoCar (in Greek). 7 July 2024. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.

References

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