Greek police and protesting farmers clashed over responsibility for severe traffic disruptions after chaos unfolded on parts of the country’s main north–south highway, leaving thousands of holiday travelers stranded for hours.

Drivers heading from the Athens area toward northern Greece faced major delays as police diverted traffic onto secondary roads due to farmers’ blockades, resulting in vehicle queues stretching for miles. In some cases, motorists reported travel times doubling compared with normal conditions.

The worst congestion was recorded along a central stretch of the highway, where traffic ground to a halt between multiple interchanges. Police said the diversions were necessary to prevent accidents, while drivers described the situation as exhausting and poorly managed.

The disruption quickly escalated into a public dispute between the Hellenic Police and farming groups. Farmers argued that they had opened two lanes of traffic in each direction, allowing vehicles to pass safely on the main highway. Police rejected that claim, citing safety risks and insisting that in key sections only one lane per direction was actually available.

A police spokesperson said officers repeatedly tried to locate farmers to move tractors blocking the roadway but were unable to find them at critical moments, worsening the congestion.

By Wednesday morning, conditions had improved across most of the highway network after farmers allowed two lanes of traffic in each direction to reopen. Police stressed that this is the minimum requirement for restoring normal traffic flow on national highways.

However, problems persisted at isolated points. Near one major junction, traffic slowed again where only a single lane remained open, causing new bottlenecks. Passenger cars and buses were allowed to continue on the highway, while heavy trucks were diverted through nearby local roads.

Traffic police said all lanes beyond the affected junction were expected to reopen fully, but partial closures near urban exits continued to cause delays. Authorities urged drivers to remain patient and follow instructions as efforts continue to stabilize traffic amid ongoing farmer protests.