Othonos-Amalias Avenue

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Othonos Amalias Avenue (Greek: Leoforos Othonis-Amalias), is Patras' major avenue running southbound one way entirely from Iroon Polytechneiou Avenue with Norman Street to Trion Navarcheiou Street with Akti Dymaion. It was partly the southbound part of the GR-9 (E55). Its total length is approximately 2 km. The avenue contains two lanes with two parking spaces. The street is named for the first king and queen of modern Greece, Otto and Amalia.

Residential buildings with neo-classical and modern architectures cover the eastern part of the avenue, residential buildings covers the northern, central and southern parts, shops and stores covers the central portions, the bus terminal is near Zaimis Street, two squares one near the old port entrance, a train station in the west side, a Shell gas station near Votsis Street, and square near Dimitris Gounaris Avenue. The major railway line, the SPAP of the OSE runs entirely on the west side and since the 1950s, with guardrails. Trees covers the rim of the railway westward and marks the old coastline, it runs the entire length.

The avenue has served entrances to the port of Patras, the only entry with a road in the 1900s, three entrances were later added by Norman (Gate 4), 28 Oktovriou and Agios Andreas Avenue intersection (Gate 2), the 28 Oktovriou and by the square were shut down in the 1980s (Gate 5), the Norman intersection (Gate 5) in the late-1990s due to traffic blockage at railway crossings.

[edit] History

The avenue was paved in the late-19th century and featured classical street lights and the railway was at the west side unguarded. It features the only entrance to the port, after World War II and the Greek Civil War, the road was finally paved in the 1950s, the avenue was guardrailed, modern lamppost were added and in the 1960s, traffic lights were added. The last traffic light added was at Trion Navarcheiou in 2002 or 2003.