One of Greece’s latest construction projects bypasses what used to be one of the country’s most dangerous roads.
The project was completed in 2017 at the Tempi Valley sector of the A1 highway, which connects Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki.
Three new tunnels and bridges replaced the old highway which traversed mountains.
Numerous fatalities occurred on the old Tempi Valley road, where approximately one to two deadly accidents took place every year. In 2004, 21 teenagers died in a single accident.
Greece’s economic crisis delayed the project by six years, but new modifications have both improved the local economy as well as transportation.
Traffic in the area has increased by 18% in the last 2 years, with approximately 11,000 vehicles traveling through it every day. Nearly 3,000 of those are trucks or buses.
Inside the three new tunnels, surveillance cameras operated by the traffic management center monitor activity non-stop. The improvements have also reduced the frequency of accidents in the area.
Supported by the EU Cohesion Policy, the new highway has been incorporated into the European Route E75, which connects Norway to south Greece.
The project was completed with oversight by the Aegean Group.
Euronews Interview With Aegean Group CEO Dimitrios Gatsonis
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