Greek National Road 2

Road in Greece

GR-2 near Edessa

Greek National Road 2 (Greek: Εθνική Οδός 2, abbreviated as EO2) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections, located in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace. It connects the Albanian border near Florina with the Turkish border near Alexandroupoli. Its section east of Thessaloniki has been replaced by the new A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos). The section between the Albanian border and Thessaloniki is part of European route E86.

Route

The EO2 is officially defined as an east-west route through northwestern Greece, southern Macedonia and southern Thrace, between the Albania–Greece border to the west near Krystallopigi, and the Greece–Turkey border to the east at Kipoi:^[1] in practice, the EO2 is split into two parts by the A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos) replacing the segment between Efkarpia and Lagyna.

The western section (Krystallopigi–Efkarpia) passes through Vatochori [el], Pisoderi, Florina, Edessa, Giannitsa, Chalkidona and Thessaloniki; The eastern section (Lagyna–Kipoi) passes through Lagkadikia, Amphipolis, Kavala, Toxotes, Xanthi, Lagos, Komotini, Mesti, Alexandroupolis, Feres and Ardani. The EO2 overlaps with the EO15 from Vatochori to Trigono, with the EO3 from Agios Athanasios [el] to Vevi, and with the EO1 Chalkidona to Gefyra.^[1]

In addition to replacing a small part of the EO2 north of Thessaloniki, the A2 motorway also provides a faster route than the EO2 between Thessaloniki and Kipoi. Since 1975, the EO2 formed part of the European route E86 from Krystallopigi to Gefyra,^[2] although the section between Gefyra and Thessaloniki was dropped in October 2000.^[3]

History

Ministerial Decision G25871 of 9 July 1963 created the current EO2 from all or part of the following short-lived national roads (listed from west to east), which existed by royal decree from 1955 to 1963:^[4][1]

• The old EO34 from the Albania–Greece border at Krystallopigi to Vatochori [el]
• The old EO33 from Vatochori to Agios Athanasios [el], near Florina
• The old EO36 from Agios Athanasios to Gefyra
• The old EO1 from Gefyra to Thessaloniki
• The old EO41 from Thessaloniki to Ardani [el]
• The old EO48 from Ardani to the Greece–Turkey border at Kipoi.

Until 1975, the EO2 formed part of the old European route E20 from the Albania–Greece border at Krystallopigi to Lagyna (north of Thessaloniki), and the old E5 from Gefyra to the Greece–Turkey border at Kipoi: hence, the old E5 and E20 overlaps between Gefyra and Lagyna.^[5]

References

1. Ministerial Decision G25871/1963 (FEK B' 319/23.07.1963, pp. 2500–2501).
2. "European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Collection. Geneva: United Nations. 15 November 1975. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
3. "Protocol to the Memorandum of Understanding" (PDF). United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Geneva: United Nations. 5 October 2000. p. 4. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
4. Royal Decree of 9 August 1955 (FEK A' 222/20.08.1955, pp. 1824–1825).
5. "Declaration on the construction of main international traffic arteries" (PDF). Treaty Series (in English and French). 92 (1264). Geneva: United Nations: 98–105. 1951. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2024.

40°45′31″N 22°30′11″E / 40.7587°N 22.5031°E / 40.7587; 22.5031