Since the 1980s, the roads and rail network of Greece has been significantly modernized. Important works include the Egnatia Odos that connects north west Greece (Igoumenitsa) with northern and north east Greece (Kipoi). The Rio-Antirrio bridge (the longest suspension cable bridge in Europe) (2250 m or 7382 ft long) connects the western Peloponnese from Rio (7 km or 4 mi from Patras) with Antirrio in Central Greece.
An expansion of the Patras-Athens national motorway towards Pyrgos in the western Peloponnese is scheduled to be completed by 2014. Most of the highway connection of Athens to Thessaloniki has also been upgraded.
The Athens metropolitan area has an international airport, the privately run suburban motorway Attiki Odos and an expanded metro system. Most of the Greek islands and many main cities of Greece are connecting by air mainly from the two major airlines of Greece, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines. Maritime connections have been improved with modern high-speed craft, including hydrofoils and catamarans. Railway connections play a somewhat lesser role than in many other European countries, but railways too have been expanded, with new suburban connections around Athens, a modern intercity connection between Athens and Thessaloniki, and upgrading to double lines in many parts of the 2500 km (1550 mi) network. International railway lines connect Greek cities with the rest of Europe, the Balkans and Turkey.
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