The newly constructed road segment connecting Dimario (Xanthi) to the Greek-Bulgarian Border (new border crossing point Dimario-Rudozem) officially opened to traffic yesterday, Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
This initiative is part of the vertical road axis “Xanthi – Echinos – Greek-Bulgarian Border”, which connects the Egnatia Motorway to the Bulgarian road axis Rudozem – Smolyan – Plovdiv, via the Greek-Bulgarian border. It is also part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
In line with the bilateral agreement between Greece and Bulgaria, dated December 22, 1995, regarding the establishment of a new border crossing point, the strategic project CrossBo: Aiming at Improving Cross-Border Accessibility was co-financed through the Interreg V-A “Greece – Bulgaria” 2014-2020 Cooperation Programme.
The total budget of the project is €42.2 million, and its consortium includes Egnatia Odos S.A. from Greece, the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) and the Smolyan Region from Bulgaria. The activities undertaken include:
- The Road Infrastructure Agency improved the vertical road axes II-59 Momchilgrad – Ivailovgrad and II-86 Srednogortsi – Rudozem in the Bulgarian cross-border area, at a total cost of €14.4 million.
- The Smolyan Region constructed the new Border Crossing Checkpoint Rudozem – Xanthi on the Bulgarian territory, with a cost of €5.6 million.
- Egnatia Odos S.A. constructed the new road section from Dimario to the Greek-Bulgarian border, spanning a total length of 7.5 km. Of this, 4,255 km were co-financed by the Interreg Programme “Greece – Bulgaria” with a total budget of €22.2 million, while the remaining 3,248 km were funded by the Operational Programme Transport Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainable Development 2014-2020, with a total budget of €12 million.
Regarding the technical specifications of the project on the Greek side, it features a mountainous road section measuring 7.50/10.50 m in width (one traffic lane in each direction), with a design speed ranging from 40 to 50 km/h due to the challenging mountainous landscape and the numerous structures involved. The northern section, which spans 4.255 km and is co-financed by the Interreg GR-BG Programme, includes two (2) tunnels (Dimario and Petra) with a total length of 645.00 m, five (5) bridges of 483.60 m in length, along with other significant constructions such as trenches and reinforced embankments. The contract for the project was awarded to Aktor SA, and the Region of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the new road section.
The strategic significance of the CrossBo project is highlighted by its substantial role in enhancing and developing the road transport network in the cross-border region between Greece and Bulgaria, which is also integrated into the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). This will improve accessibility and mobility between the two nations, while also fostering broader economic growth and prosperity in the cross-border region.
Residents of the regions on both sides of the border, along with passing travellers, tourists, and businesses, will benefit from the improved road infrastructure and the new border checkpoint, resulting in quicker, safer, and more comfortable travel.
