Greek National Road 48

Greek National Road 48 is a highway in Western and Central Greece. It runs from 2 km south of Rio at GR-8/GR-9 (westbound), or at the beginning of the Patras By-Pass in the south up to near Levadia. It is now connected with a new bridge, the Rio-Antirio bridge and for 5 km is a joint with GR-5 and E55. From the Rio Interchange to junction of Delphi or Amfissa, it is part of E65.

The highway passes mainly through Aitoloacarnania, Phokida and Viotia (Boeotia).

The New highway bypasses Nafpaktos and runs in the northwestern part of the Corinthian Gulf and north of Itea and junction of GR-27.

The Old highway runs through Trikorfo and passes over the Mornos dam. It passes south of Lidoriki and into Agia Efthymia and near Amfissa.

The rest of the highway runs into the valley and passes through one way streets in Delphi and near the archaeological site along with the Fokida-Voiotia prefectural boundary. It ends at Levadia.

History

When the Mornos dam was under construction in the mid-to-late 20th century, the highway was rerouted slightly, over the dam.

A bypass sometimes numbered as GR-48 but numbered as E65 opened. It runs from east of Evinochori east of the Aitolia-Acarnania border to the junction of GR-49 south of Amfissa (Amphissa). It includes a tunnel and a view of the Corinthian Gulf. It is connected also with a ferry of Aigio at the port of Agios Nikolaos. In the late-1980s and the early-1990s, a new by-pass was constructed north of Nafpaktos with the highest altitude at 100 m above sea level. When its about 70 to 80% complete, construction stopped and did not opened for nearly a decade.

In the late-1990s. demonstrations occurred about the increasing number of traffic and the opposition of unopening of Nafpaktos by-pass. It was later opened in the early-2000s.

In the late-1990s, a slope near the tunnel located between Arta and Ioannina was devastated with a mudslide cutting off traffic and hydro to the area. A few days later, the highway/route was reopened

Places near the highway

The highway passes within towns and cities ordered from north to south includes:

*west of Rio
*Rio-Antirio bridge (toll)
*Antirio, since the openeing of the bridge, bypasses
*Junction of GR-5
*Nafpaktos, now bypasses since the late-1990s
*Evinochori
**GR-48 (Old Highway)
*Trikorfo
*Mornos Dam
*south of Lidoriki
*Agia Efthymia
*Amfissa
**E65 (New Highway)
**near Agios Nikolaos
**Galaxidi
**north of Itea
**junction of GR-27
*Delphi and the archaeological site
*west of Levadia with the junction of GR-3