Ioannina, Epirus to Become Southeast Europe Transport Hub

Ioannina, Epirus.

The city of Ioannina, its prefecture and the wider Epirus region are to become an important Southeast Europe transport hub, following the completion of major infrastructure works in the next few years.

By the end of 2024, Ioannina will be a crossroad to three international road axes, allowing, visitors and the transportation of goods, safer and faster accessibility to the area.

More specifically, the Greek city will be linked to:

–Thessaly and Central Greece, through the Egnatia Odos and the E65 motorways, with the latter expected to be completed by the summer of 2023.

– Aktio and its airport, through the Ionia motorway and its Amvrakia branch expected to be completed by the summer of 2023.

– The Balkans and Central Europe, through the Adriatic – Ionian motorway (Blue Corridor) once the Ioannina – Kakavia road, expected to be auctioned in 2023, is upgraded.

Ioannina, Epirus.

According to Stathis Sioutis, President of the Ioannina Region Hotels Association, this road infrastructure “will provide added value to Ioannina and strengthen sectors such as tourism, trade, investment, transport and real estate”.

The city of Ioannina is also within a 100 kilometers distance from the two international airports of Aktio and Ioannina, while the port of Igoumenitsa, which handles 2.5 million passengers annually and could become a cruise departure port, is just 45 minutes away.

Other infrastructure works that will support Ioannina’s role as a transport hub include a seaplane airport at the city’s Pamvotida lake, scheduled to be licensed within the next few years, and the Egnatia Railway linking Alexandroupoli with Igoumenitsa, currently in talks, according to Sioutis.