Roads Completed

Egnatia Motorway - Kavala Section

A critical 45-kilometer motorway section featuring complex mountain terrain engineering, multiple tunnels, and innovative bridge designs connecting Eastern Macedonia.

Kavala, Greece
2021
Egnatia Odos S.A.

Project Image

45 km
Route Length
Total motorway section
8.5 km
Tunnel Length
Combined tunnel distance
12
Bridges & Viaducts
Major crossing structures
40,000
Daily Capacity
Vehicles per day design

Project Overview

The Egnatia Motorway Kavala section represents a major infrastructure achievement, traversing challenging mountain terrain to complete a vital east-west corridor across Northern Greece. Our team delivered comprehensive electrical and mechanical engineering services for this complex transportation project.

Tunnel Engineering

Main Tunnel Complex

The twin-bore 4.2 km tunnel features:

  • Longitudinal ventilation with 52 jet fans per tube
  • Emergency ventilation capable of 120 m³/s extraction
  • Fire detection through linear heat sensing cable
  • CCTV coverage with automatic incident detection
  • Variable message signs for traffic management
  • Emergency refuge areas every 500 meters

Secondary Tunnels

Three additional tunnels totaling 4.3 km incorporate:

  • Portal buildings with ventilation equipment
  • Drainage pump stations with backup power
  • Traffic control systems with lane signals
  • Emergency communication systems

Electrical Infrastructure

Power Distribution

  • Dual 20 kV utility feeds for redundancy
  • Distributed generator backup at tunnel portals
  • UPS systems for critical safety equipment
  • Comprehensive lightning protection

Lighting Systems

  • LED tunnel lighting with dimming control
  • Threshold and transition zone enhancement
  • Emergency escape route illumination
  • Solar-powered rest area lighting

Intelligent Transport Systems

Traffic Management

  • Automatic traffic counters and classifiers
  • Weather stations with road surface sensors
  • Variable speed limit signs responding to conditions
  • Queue detection and warning systems

Toll Collection

  • Multi-lane free-flow electronic tolling
  • Video-based license plate recognition
  • Manual toll lanes with barrier control
  • Central toll management system

Safety Systems

The section incorporates comprehensive safety features:

  • Emergency phones every 150 meters
  • Fire extinguisher cabinets throughout tunnels
  • Water supply for firefighting with ring main
  • Helicopter landing pads at strategic locations
  • Incident management center with full SCADA integration

Challenges & Solutions

Mountain Tunnel Ventilation

The 4.2 km main tunnel required sophisticated ventilation for safety and air quality.

Solution

Designed longitudinal ventilation system with jet fans and emergency extraction points meeting EU tunnel safety directives.

Seismic Resilience

The route crosses an active seismic zone requiring robust infrastructure design.

Solution

Coordinated MEP systems with seismic isolation of viaducts, including flexible connections and automatic shutoff systems.

Remote Location Operations

The mountainous terrain made maintenance access challenging.

Solution

Implemented comprehensive remote monitoring and control systems with predictive maintenance capabilities.

Project Gallery

Project Details

Size
45 km
Capacity
40,000 vehicles/day
Budget
€320 million
Duration
55 months
Client
Egnatia Odos S.A.
Contractor
GEK Terna - Aktor JV

Services Provided

  • Tunnel Ventilation Design
  • Electrical Systems Engineering
  • Traffic Management Systems
  • Toll Plaza Design
  • Safety Systems Integration

Tags

motorway tunnels infrastructure traffic management Northern Greece

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