Ethniki Odos 38

	Template: Infobox high-level road / Maintenance / GR-N
	Ethniki Odos EO38 in Greece
	Basic data
Operator:
Overall length:	250 km
Periferies ( regions ):	West Greece; Central Greece;
	West Greece
	Central Greece

The Ethniki Odos 38 / Εθνική Οδός 38 ( Greek for 'national road 38') is an important Greek trunk road connection between the town of Agrinio in the west and the town of Lamia in the east of central Greece . The part of the national road that leads from its beginning near the small town of Thermo to Agrinio is only of regional importance. It is by far the most important road connection in the prefecture of Evrytania and connects it to western Greece and Epirus as well as to Thessaly, central Greece and Attica.

course

Thermo-Agrinio-Episkopi (Etolia-Acarnania)

National road 38 begins in the small town of Thermo, which is northeast of the eastern end of Lake Trichonida. From Thermo, the road heads north-west to the village of Perevos and with it reaches the north bank of Lake Trichonida. Continuing on this to the west, the national road 38 reaches the village of Padanassa and, after passing through the village, turns to the northwest in the direction of the small town of Paravola. After crossing the village of Paravola, the road runs parallel to the Trichonida lake shore at a distance of approx. 5 km to the west through the small town of Kenourgio to Nea Avorani. After passing Nea Avorani, the national road 38 turns to the northwest and enters the urban area of Agrinio. When crossing Agrinio, the national road 40 rises on national road 38, which leads west through the city of Agrinio itself to the city's disused national airport. The national road 40 crosses the national road 5 (Arta-Messolongi) and thus establishes the connection between the north-south axis of national road 5 and the east-west axis of national road 38.

The national road 38 swings in the urban area of Agrinio to the northeast and initially leads to the east in the northern coastal plain of Lake Trichonida. After leaving a provincial road in the direction of Kenourgio and Paravola, the national road 38 swings to the north-northeast and climbs up on the western foothills of the main ridge of the Pindos Mountains in the direction of Frangoskala. Before passing through this village, the Zervas river is crossed with a bridge. Then the national road 38 continues north-northeast on the mountain ridge east of the Kastraki lake to the village of Avlakies.

It swings to the east in the village and continues climbing the heights of the Pindus Mountains to the village of Ano Agios Vlasios. From then on, it runs parallel to the Acheloos river course at a distance of a few kilometers before entering the village of Charavgi. This is close to the southern shore of Lake Kremasta , but with a significant difference in height from the lake surface. The national road 38 swings to the east and descends in the course on the south bank of the Kremasta lake in the direction of the lake surface in the former river valley of the Tavropos. Before the village of Episkopi the road swings to the northeast and crosses the Kremasta Lake with the Episkopi Bridge, the southern of the two road bridges over the Kremasta Lake. Here at the prefectural border between Aetolia-Acarnania in the west and Evrytania in the east is crossed in the middle of the lake along the old course of the Tavropos river.

Episkopi Bridge on National Road 38 across Lake Kremasta near Episkopi

Episkopi-Karpenisi-Tymfristos (Evrytania)

After crossing the Kremasta Lake, the national road 38 reaches the small town of Episkopi, which is located at the southern exit of the Frangista valley with the Frangistanorema river. At the same time, the national road 38 enters the eastern Agrafa (mountain range) at this point . After passing from Episkopi on the eastern slope of the valley with the mountains Balasteika (682 m) and Gaounda (925 m), it initially runs north, where it crosses the Frangistanorema river west of the Gaounda summit and southwest of the town of Isomata. After crossing the river, a branch line branches off to the village of Agios Georgios; the national road turns to the north and runs on the western slope of the Frangista valley towards the village of Dytiki Frangitsa, which is passed to the east. After passing Dytiki Frangista, the national road turns abruptly to the east, crosses the Frangistanorema river again and rises to the village of Anatoliki Frangista. This is crossed and left in the direction of Amiriani in the east. The national road continues in the valley of the Fragistanorema, which flows in this section of the river from east to west. The monastery of Sotyros is reached along the southern wall of the Frangista valley. After reaching the monastery, the pass climbs to the village of Amiriani, which lies on the ridge of the pass between the mountains Karmaki (1203 m; south) and Pende Koryfes (1039 m; north). Amiriani is passed north after climbing the pass, reaching the apex of the mountain range between the Frangistanorema valley in the west and the Tavropos valley in the east.

After this apex, the national road 38 begins the descent from the west into the valley of the Tavropos river. Shortly before the village of Nea Viniani on the western slope of the Tavropos valley, the national road 38 swings abruptly to the south and leads through the small plain south of Nea Viniani and east of Kato Marathias to the village of Parkio directly on the Tavropos. 800 m south of Parkio, the national road 38 crosses the Tavropos and runs along the valley of the Kalemeniotiko stream towards the village of Kalesmeno. Before Kalesmeno, the national road ascends on the southern flank of Mount Koukos (1016 m) and passes the village of Kalesmeno. From Kalesmeno the national road follows the eastern slope of the Kalesmeniotikos brook to the southeast and reaches the higher-lying village of Ano Kalesmeno. After Ano Kalesmeno, the national road 38 begins the western ascent of the Bagnasaki pass, which leads to the apex of the mountain range between the Tavropos valley (west) and the valley of the Karpenisiotis river (east) just north of the Paliolimera mountain (1490 m altitude). Then the descent of the national road (eastern pass ascent) begins into the valley of the Karpenisiotis River, in which the capital of the prefecture of Evrytania, Karpenisi, is also located.

At the western boundary of the small town of Karpenisi, the national road 38 enters the urban area and runs through the middle of the small town as its main traffic axis. It leaves Karpenisi to the east on a neutrassied section that runs along the upper reaches of the Karpenisiotis south of the Tymfristos to the east. At the hamlet of Lefki, the national road swings to the south-east in order to bypass the south-eastern foothills of the Tymfristos massif with the peaks Koumbi (1877 m altitude) and Pikrovouni (1500 m altitude) in their south. The northern foothills of the Kokalia mountain (1,716 m altitude) merge into the southeastern foothills of the Tymfristos. The transition between both mountain ranges also forms the Rachi Tymfristou or Skala Tymfristou pass . The village of Agios Nikolaos is located to the west of this pass, so that when you reach the east of this village (last settlement in the area of the prefecture of Evrytania) the pass ascent to the Skala Tymfristou or Rachi Tymfristou begins (pass height approx. 1,200 m). The newly routed national road 38 bypasses the ascent of the old national road and passes under the Rachi Tymfristou with the 1,300 m long Tymfristos tunnel.

Tymfristos Makrakomi Lamia (Fthiotida)

After leaving the Tymfristos tunnel, the descent from the Rachi Tymfristou to the village of Tymfristos takes place along the southern flank of the Pikrovouni, which takes place in many serpentines. Shortly after leaving the Tymfristos tunnel, a provincial road branches off to the north, which leads along the eastern boundary of the Tymfristos massif to Agia Triada. The summit of Tymfristos, Seidani with 2,313 height the highest summit of the Agrafa Mountains, is passed about 3 km to the east. From the village of Tymfristos, the national road 38 runs in a curve north-east in the valley of the upper reaches of the river Sperchios towards the village of Agios Georgios Tymfristou. Immediately in front of this village, the river Sperchios is crossed.

From Agios Georgios Tymfristou, the national road 38 initially runs parallel on the east bank of the Sperchios up to half the distance between Agios Georgios Tymfristou and Neochoraki. Analogous to the river, the national road swings to the east and passes the villages of Neochoraki and Ptelea. To the south of the latter, the Roustainitis river flows into the Sperchios from the southwest. Following the northern bank of the Sperchios at a distance of 1 to 3 km, the national road passes the towns of Vitoli and Zirella until it passes through the small town of Makrakomi. From Makrakomi the national road follows the course of the Sperchios over Makri and Lianokladi to the prefecture capital Lamia. The villages of Ypati and Sperchiada south of the Sperchios can only be reached via spur roads that cross the Sperchios. Within the city of Lamia, the national road 38 represents the east-west traffic axis of the city. In the city center, it joins the national road 3 (European route 65) coming from the north from Farsala, which leads through Lamia to the south to the cities of Livadia and Elefsina in Attica . The extension of the national road 38 leads from Lamia to the east as a provincial road to the national road 1 or to the motorway 1 (A1) from Thessaloniki to Athens.

swell

Sterea Ellada. 1: 250,000. Road Editions , Athens. ISBN 960-8481-16-3
Topo 100 Central Greece. Evrytania. 1: 100,000. Anavasi, Athens. ISBN 978-960-8195-65-3