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Easter exodus peaks: 45-minute delays toward Elefsina tolls – Easter Sunday roasting in summer weather

More than 92 thousand vehicles left Attica yesterday - How will move the public transport until Easter Wednesday - Where will be the highest temperatures

Newsroom April 18 09:45

 

The weather is expected to be an ally for travelers during the Easter holidays, with temperatures having risen since yesterday, reaching up to 30°C, and remaining high for the season at least until the traditional Easter Sunday lamb roasting.

Today, when the exodus of Easter travelers peaks, we expect plenty of sunshine, with a few showers mainly around midday in the northern mountainous regions. Winds will blow from the west, reaching up to 6 Beaufort in the southern areas. Midday temperatures will reach 23°C to 25°C in most regions. There will also be increased concentrations of Saharan dust.

Traffic has been heavy since early in the day on the road toward the Elefsina tolls, with Attiki Odos reporting delays of over 45 minutes from Aspropyrgos to the Elefsina exit. Drivers are also moving at low speeds right after the tolls.

Increased traffic at Attica’s ports

Traffic at the ports is also expected to be high today due to the Easter holiday departures to the islands of the Cyclades, Dodecanese, and Crete. A total of 36 ships are departing from the three Attica ports, with very high occupancy across all destinations. According to official figures, a total of 32,158 passengers are scheduled to depart today from the ports of Piraeus, Rafina, and Lavrio. Specifically, from Piraeus there will be 16 sailings with 16,364 passengers, from Rafina 8 sailings with 8,400 passengers, including 4 extra routes to Marmari, and from Lavrio, 8 sailings with 2,694 passengers.

On Holy Saturday, fifteen sailings are scheduled from Piraeus, Rafina, and Lavrio. From Holy Monday to Holy Saturday, a total of 126,228 passengers are expected to travel by ferry.

Yesterday, Holy Thursday, 20 departures were scheduled from the port of Piraeus, with at least 22,190 passengers departing according to ferry company booking systems. From Rafina, 10 ships sailed, including 4 extra trips to Marmari, carrying at least 9,800 passengers. From Lavrio, 10 ships departed with 2,843 passengers.

The Hellenic Coast Guard has taken all necessary measures to assist passengers. It is recommended that Easter travelers arrive early at the departure dock for smoother service.

Over 92,000 vehicles left Attica yesterday

The Easter exodus from Attica toward the regions via the national highways occurred smoothly yesterday.

From Holy Tuesday up to 2 p.m. yesterday, 200,000 vehicles had passed through both the Athens-Corinth and Athens-Lamia highways.

According to Traffic Police data, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Holy Thursday, 53,180 vehicles passed through the Athens-Corinth highway and 39,909 through the Athens-Lamia highway — a total of 92,489 vehicles. It is worth noting that during the same period last year, 84,309 vehicles had departed (49,300 toward Corinth and 35,009 toward Lamia).

This morning, the last major wave of Easter travelers is expected to leave Attica for the regions. It is also reminded that from 06:00 to 16:00, there is a ban on trucks over 3.5 tons in the outbound direction.

Smooth Easter exodus from Thessaloniki continues

The Easter exodus continues smoothly from Thessaloniki. Locals began leaving the city from Holy Wednesday, and the peak is expected on Holy Saturday.

Most vehicles are heading toward Halkidiki, with a significant number also going to Pieria. Although the volume of traffic is high, no problems have been observed.

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Emergency measures are in place, and traffic police are present at many points along the national highways to help manage traffic flow and conduct safety checks for Easter travelers.

According to the Thessaloniki Traffic Directorate, 7,000 vehicles have moved along the Thessaloniki–Moudania highway, and 12,300 along the Egnatia Highway. Up to Holy Thursday, 17,650 vehicles had exited via the Malgara tolls. However, Thessaloniki in recent years has also become a holiday destination. According to the data, 16,895 vehicles entered the city through the Malgara tolls.

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