Μake us preferred on Google A new highway linking the northwestern Greek city of Ioannina with the Kakavia border crossing into Albania is expected to cut the journey to around 35 to 40 minutes when completed in December 2029.
The approximately 70-kilometer (43-mile) road project, budgeted at €310 million, is one of the most significant infrastructure developments in Greece’s Epirus region. It aims to improve road safety, reduce travel times and strengthen connections between Greece, neighboring Balkan countries and the rest of Europe.
The highway is already under construction, with recent aerial footage showing progress along the route from the junction with the Egnatia Odos motorway toward the areas of Zoodochos and the Ioannina Industrial Zone.
Construction advances at three key locations
Work is progressing at three main locations: Kosmira, Asvestochori and the junction where the new road will connect with the Ionia Odos and Egnatia Odos motorways.
One of the project’s major structures will be a bridge approximately 560 meters (1,837 feet) long, featuring 14 spans, at the junction linking the two motorways.
Earthworks and ground preparation are also continuing along the planned route to prepare the site for the highway’s construction.
Once completed, the new road will serve as a western extension of the Egnatia Odos motorway and improve connections across Epirus, including access for communities in the region’s mountainous and relatively isolated areas.
Two sections leading to the Albanian border
The Ioannina–Kakavia project is divided into two main sections.
The first covers the 46.4-kilometer (28.8-mile) stretch between Ioannina and Kalpaki, where six grade-separated interchanges are planned. These include the 1.47-kilometer Passarona interchange, which is classified as an optional component of the project.
The second section runs for 23.1 kilometers (14.4 miles) from Kalpaki to the Kakavia border crossing. It involves upgrading the existing road to improve the route toward Albania.
Together, the two sections will create a modern road corridor of approximately 70 kilometers, improving the safety and quality of travel between Epirus and the neighboring country.
Part of a wider European transport corridor
The project is considered strategically important because it forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network’s Orient/East-Med corridor. It is also intended to contribute to the so-called Blue Corridor, an extensive road network connecting Trieste in northeastern Italy with Kalamata in southern Greece.
The wider network is expected to strengthen trade and tourism across southeastern Europe.
The new highway will also complete a major road connection running from Antirrio through Messolonghi, Agrinio, Arta and Ioannina before reaching the Kakavia border crossing. The Ioannina–Kakavia section is the largest new road project in Epirus since the Ionia Odos motorway was completed in 2017.
With the new section in place, the approximately 264-kilometer (164-mile) journey between Antirrio and Kakavia via Ioannina is expected to take around two hours and 15 minutes.
A December 2029 completion target
The project aims to address longstanding access and connectivity problems in Epirus, particularly for isolated mountain communities, while strengthening the region’s role as a gateway for trade and tourism between Greece, the western Balkans and Western Europe.
According to information published in June on the Greek government’s official road-projects website, the highway is expected to be completed in December 2029.
