Attiki Odos

A6 motorway
A6 motorway
Αυτοκινητόδρομος 6
Attiki Odos
Route information
	Part of E94
Length	69.7 km (43.3 mi)
Major junctions
West/North end	Elefsis/Ano Liosia
East/South end	Aspropyrgos/Ilioupoli/Athens International Airport
Location
Country	Greece
Regions	Attica
Major cities	Athens
Highway system
	Highways in Greece; Motorways; National Roads;

Attiki Odos (Greek: Αττική Οδός) (Attica Road) is a toll motorway system in Greece. The Attiki Odos motorways form the outer beltways of the Greater Athens metropolitan area. The total length of the motorways is 70 kilometres (43 mi). The Attiki Odos system currently consists of the following motorways:

A6: Eleusis - Athens International Airport
A62 (Ymittos Ring): Katechaki Avenue - Pallini
A621: Doukissis Plakentias Avenue - Agia Paraskevi
A64: Koropi - Athens International Airport
A65 (Aigaleo Ring): Skaramagas - Ano Liosia

History

Construction of the A6 motorway began in 1996. Part of it was opened, along with the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to which it connects, in March 2001.

Highway interchange in the northern suburb of Maroussi.

In early 2003, the A6 was opened from Kifisias Avenue Interchange to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport; the Ymittos Ring was almost paved by this time, and tunnels were already complete. On 3 September 2003, the Ymittos Ring opened. This part of the motorway runs in the northern part of the Hymettus hills and bypassed Mesogeion Avenue and linked to Kifissou Avenue and its suburbs, and the Airport along with the eastern suburbs of Athens.

In November 2003, the western part opened from the junction with A8 motorway to Kifisias Avenue. In April 2004, a small 2.5 km section opened, connecting the Ymittos Ring to the westbound direction of the A6.

Interchange at the Attiki Odos Airport Entrance.

Safety

Attiki Odos is considered one of the safest motorways in Europe.^[1]^[2] Its design used strict safety-related technical specifications, including updated hard shoulders in both directions and high quality skid-resistant asphalt pavement, dense lighting and fencing. Attiki Odos has hundreds of CCTV cameras connected to the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), which detects any incidents occurring on the motorway and informs the intervention and maintenance patrol units to provide assistance. Other sophisticated safety systems include:

Road pavement sensors
Carbon monoxide measurement systems installed in tunnels
TETRA system for communication with the patrol units
Electronic variable message signs
Automatic tunnel ventilation systems

Tolls

Article 50 of the concession contract, as ratified by Law 2445/1996, requires drivers to pay a toll to use the A6, A62 (Hymettus Ring Road) and A621.^[3] The toll, paid once when entering the motorways, is the same regardless of distance travelled, but depends on the vehicle category and payment method: as of 17 August 2024^[update], the single journey toll is €1.40 for motorbikes, €2.80 for cars and vans, €7.10 for trucks and buses, and €11.30 for heavy goods vehicles.^[4]

Drivers can pay by cash, credit or debit card, e-pass or a special account card: e-pass transponders from other motorways are accepted under the Greek Interoperable Tolling System (GRITS), which was introduced in 2012 and expanded nationwide in November 2020.^[5]

Attiki Odos coming through Maroussi Metropolitan Suburb, outside Athens Mall.

Expansion plans

In 2001, the same year the first section of the motorway was delivered, the discussion about the extension of the motorway first opened, but the plans remained unimplemented for many years.^[6]

On October 21, 2005 a new expansion plan was proposed. 76 km of motorway was to be constructed, bringing the total length to 141 km. Extensions were to be constructed towards Rafina, Lavrio and Vouliagmeni. The Hymettus Beltway was also to be extended southwards to Vouliagmeni, in the area of Elliniko. In 2010 and 2013 alterations in the original planning were made and more extensions were proposed.^[6]

As of 2019, the expansion plan under discussion includes the extensions to Rafina and Lavrio ports, the extension of Kymis Avenue up to the A1 motorway, the extension of Hymettus western ring road to Vouliagmenis Avenue, as well as the extension of Suburban Railway to Lavrio, but these projects have not begun construction yet.^[6]

References

^ Bill M. Halkias. "The Case of Attica Tollway (Attiki Odos)" (PDF). unece.org. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
^ "Attiki Odos Motorway - Verdict Traffic".
^ N. 2445/1996 Ar. 1 (FEK A' 274/16.12.1996, pp. 5295–5299).
^ "Tolls". Attiki Odos. Paiania. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ "GRITS: The Greek Highways welcome the era of interoperability". Ypodomes.com. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Eighteen years of planning for Attiki Motorway's extensions, where are we now - ypodomes.com". www.ypodomes.com (in Greek). Retrieved 2019-04-14.

External links

[1] Bill M. Halkias. "The Case of Attica Tollway (Attiki Odos)" (PDF). unece.org. Retrieved 30 September 2023.

[2] "Attiki Odos Motorway - Verdict Traffic".

[3] N. 2445/1996 Ar. 1 (FEK A' 274/16.12.1996, pp. 5295–5299).

[tolls-4] "Tolls". Attiki Odos. Paiania. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[ypo-20201029-5] "GRITS: The Greek Highways welcome the era of interoperability". Ypodomes.com. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[:0-6] "Eighteen years of planning for Attiki Motorway's extensions, where are we now - ypodomes.com". www.ypodomes.com (in Greek). Retrieved 2019-04-14.

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v t e Streets in Athens
Major streets	3 Septemvriou Street Agiou Konstantinou Street Aiolou Street Akadimias Street Alexandras Avenue Amalias Avenue Andrea Syngrou Avenue Athanasiou Diakou Street Athinas Street Athinon Avenue Acharnon Street Benaki Street Ermou Street Ioanninon Avenue Iera Odos Kallirois Avenue Katechaki Avenue Kifisias Avenue Kifissou Avenue Konstantinoupoleos Avenue Lenormant Street Makri Street Mavromichali Street Mesogeion Avenue Michalopoulou Street Mitropoleos Street Pangratiou Street Panepistimiou Street Patission Street Patsi Street Peiraios Street Petrou Ralli Avenue Rizari Street Sofokleous Street Stadiou Street Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue Vasilissis Sofias Avenue Vouliagmenis Avenue
Secondary and local streets	Antigonis Street Dionysiou Areopagitou Street Eynardou Street Fokionos Negri Street Herodou Attikou Street Kallirois Street Lykourgou Street Pandrossou Street Petmeza Street Santarosa Street Veikou Street Voukourestiou Street
Main squares	Kolonaki Square Kotzia Square Monastiraki Square Omonoia Square Syntagma Square
Suburban roads	Alimou Street Athinas Avenue Ulof Palme Street Doukissis Plakentias Avenue Poseidonos Avenue Thiseos Street
Highways	Attiki Odos Aigaleo Ring Road Hymettus Ring Road
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