0.1 Abstract
This research paper examines the emergence of highways as key infrastructures of the 20th and 21st centuries, along with their social, economic and geopolitical aspects. The study draws upon historical and anthropological studies of infrastructures and highways, linking them to ideas and processes of development and modernisation. Initially, this paper briefly refers to the history of infrastructures since their first appearance in the 19th century up to the interwar period, when the first highway construction projects began. As infrastructures of modernity, highways embody promises of mobility, order, social and economic development equally promoted by authoritarian, socialist and postcolonial states despite their radically different ideological and political agendas throughout the 20th century. The second part of the paper examines highways in relation to the dynamics of globalisation. The research draws upon Marc Auge’s theories on supermodernity and (non)places to examine new highways as predominant (non) places of the 21st century. By tracing the history of road construction in Greece, the paper focuses on highway E65 as an emblematic example of supermodernity and the production of (non) places. The analysis combines on-site observation, recordings taken while moving along the E65 and mapping. By comparing the former former national road network, that crosses paths with highway E65, the paper highlights local transformations caused by highways, as well as the values of acceleration and development that these infrastructures embody to this day. Highlighting the contradictions and disruptions between the imaginaries embodied in infrastructure and their appropriation, this paper illuminates the multiple facets of the dominant car culture.
key words: automobility, highway, infrastructure, modernization, globalization, (non) places, supermodernity, mobility
[(1995). Non- Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity].
(Mitchell 2014).
Fig. 1
Figure 1
Estate Heimatsiedlung
Architecture Misfit #25: Ernst May
Fig. 2
(Vronskava 2017).
Figure 2
Narkomfin
The Architectural Review
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Autostrada dei Laghi
Wikipedia
2025
(Interstate Highway System) (Martin
Figure 6
North Star Highways
Figure 7
National Museum of the U.S. Army
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8a
San Fransisco
Figure 8b
Χάρτης του Ιnterstate Ηighway System, 1976.
Πηγή: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Fig. 8b
Figure 9
Fig. 9
(Adalet 2018).
(Hilton 1955)
(Leahy 2015).
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Figure 12
Fig. 13
Figure 13
Reggio, G. Koyaanisqatsi, 1982
(Sykes 2023).
«Infrastructure between Statehood and Selfhood: The Trans- African Highway» των Kenny Cupers
Prita
(Cupers Meier 2020)
Fig. 14
Figure 14
Cupers, K., Meier, P. (2020). Infrastructure between Statehood and Selfhood: The Trans- African Highway.
Papanikolaou
2022: 113 [Williams 1960: 242]).
Figure 15
Fig. 16
M. Auge
(Auge 1995: 119).
(Auge 1995: 119).
(Auge 1995:
Fig. 17- 20
Figures 17- 20
Fig. 21
Figure 21
φωτογραφία προσωπικού
Απρ. 2025
Fig. 22
Figure 22
Fig. 23
Figure 23
Histories, Field Notes: Athens in Flux]
Fig. 24
Figure 24
(Cohen 1999: 15).
Fig. 25
Information Service-
Figure 25
Fig. 26
Figure 26
Χάρτης Ε75
Πηγή: Wikipedia
επαν/μένος
από Δ.
Παυλίδου, 2025
Fig. 27
Figure 27
Fig. 28
Figure 28
συνολικό μήκος: 182,1 χλμ προϋπολογισμός: 1,6 δις ευρώ περιλαμβάνει: 15 κόμβους σταθμούς εξυπηρέτησης
Fig. 29
Figure 29
: 2 h 35 min
Fig. 30
Figure 30
Fig. 31
Fig. 33
Figure 33
Fig. 34
Figure 34
φωτογραφία προσωπικού αρχείου, διαδρομή Σοφάδες- Τρίκαλα, Ε65, Φεβ. 2025
Fig. 35
Figure 35
φωτογραφία προσωπικού αρχείου, Καλαμπάκα, τέρμα Ε65, εργοτάξιο επέκτασης Β. Τμήματος Φεβ. 2025
Fig. 36
Figure 36
φωτογραφία προσωπικού αρχείου, Σ.Ε.Α 087, Καρδίτσα- Τρίκαλα, Ε65 Φεβ. 2025
Fig. 37
Fig. 38
Figure 38
Figure 39
41
40
Fig.
Figure
42
43
Figure 42
Figure 43
Fig.
Fig.
Fig. 44
Fig. 45
Figure 44
Figure 45
Fig. 46
Figure 46
Fig. 47
Figure 47
48- 58
48- 58
Fig.
Figure
Figure 59
Fig. 60
Figure 60
61
Fig. 61
Figure
Fig. 62
Figure 62
Fig. 63
Figure 63
Fig. 64a
Fig. 65
Fig. 64b
Fig. 64c
Figure 64
Figure 65
Figure 67
Fig. 67
Figure 68
Figure 69
Fig. 69
70 Figure 70
Fig.
Αναφορές
Βιβλιογραφία
Ελληνόγλωσση βιβλιογραφία
Δαλάκογλου, Δ. (2022). Στο Δρόμο: μια
στα Βαλκάνια. Αθήνα: νήσος.
Ζυρπιάδου, Κ., Καλούπη, Ι. (2024). Ε75, Αφηγήσεις, Συλλογές
Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας.
Μπίρης, Κ. (2005). Αι Αθήναι: από του 19ου εις τον 20ον αιώνα. Αθήνα: Μέλισσα.
Χατζηβασιλείου, Ε. (2011). Το Σχέδιο Μάρσαλ
[Το Σχέδιο
Μ. (1998). Λεξικό
Χατζηκωνσταντίνου, Ε. (2014).
Adalet, B. (2018). Hotels and Highways: The Construction of Modernization Theory on Cold War Turkey. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Αuge, M. (1995). Non- Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity. London: Verso
Chatzikonstantinou, E., Samarinis, P., Sakelaridou, A. (2012). Nuts & Bolts of Construction History: Road construction in Greece during the Interbellum: The Makris project. Vol 3. Clausewitz, C. von. (1984). On War. Princeton University Press. Cohen, J- L. (1999). Landscapes of Modernisation: Greek Architecture, 1960s and 1990s: Constructed lanscapes between North and South. Αθήνα: Metapolis Press. Cupers, K., Meier, P. (2020). Infrastructure between Statehood and Selfhood: The TransAfrican Highway. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. Harvey, D. (1985). The Urbanization of Capital. Oxford: Blackwell. Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Oxford: Blackwell. Mitchell, T. (2014). Comparative Studies of South Asia. Africa and the Middle East: The life of Infrastructure. Volume 32, Issue 3. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.
Molotch, H. & Wachter, M. (2008). Urban infrastructure: an introduction. Virilio, P. (2006). Speed and Politics: An Essay on Domology. Cambridge, MA: Semiotext(e). Williams, R. (1960). Border Country. London: Chatto & Windus.
Ehrenburg, E. (2008).
Foucault, M. (2011).
Δικτυογραφία
Αθανασίου, Α., Αλιφραγκής, Σ. (2018). Εκπαιδεύοντας
. Archetype.
https://www.archetype.gr/uploads/pdf/hvxInpFxxu.pdf?_=1524774260
Δημοκίδης, Α. (2017).
“έφτιαξε και δρόμους”. Lifo.
https://www.lifo.gr/lifoland/mikropragmata/ta-skandala-tis-hoyntas-ayti-einai-i-alitheiagia-tin-diktatoria-poy-eftiaxe
Καφάογλου, Η. (2021). H λανθάνουσα
. Car and Driver. https://www.caranddriver.gr/stories/arthro/ilias_kafaoglou_ereuna_h_lanthanousa_ekseliksi_tis_aytokinisis_stin_ellada_meros_a-7735401/ — (2024). Επέτειος
Car and Driver.
https://www.caranddriver.gr/stories/arthro/epeteios_polytexneiou_oi_dromoi_oi_ moma_kai_to_afigima_tis_diktatorias-7829026/ Σκάγιαννης, Π. (2021). Τα Μεγάλα
(1981-2021)
12(12). https://doi.org/10.12681/rp.28887
Albanian Constitution. (1976). Approved by the People’s Assembly on December 28, 1976. http://bjoerna.dk/dokumentation/Albanian-Constitution-1976.htm Architectuul. n.d.: Ernst May https://architectuul.com/architect/ernst-may Cobb, E. (2025). Mediterranean Vistas: Producing the Touristic Gaze of Coastal Space. Architectural Histories 12(1). https://doi.org/10.16995/ah.15210
Lace, L. (2018). Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Birth of the Interstate Highway System. Army Sustainment University. https://alu.army.mil/alog/2018/MARAPR18/PDF/198095.pdf
Leahy, J. (2025). China’s Belt and Road investment and construction activity hits record. Beijing: Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/content/a2635ba1-198e-4014-8030-7e420edf34be ‘Not Just Roads’ Q&A and Workshop (2022): Unlearning the Urban Seminar and cosponsored by the South Asia Center at Syracuse University. https://soa.syr.edu/live/events/1182-not-just-roads-qampa-and-workshop Martin, R. (2025). Highways and Horizons, Places Journal, June 2025. Accessed 08 Sep 2025. https://doi.org/10.22269/250617
Senakocakaya. (2015). Ernst May und das neue Frankfurt 1925-1930. WordPress.com https://senakocakaya.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/ernst-may-housing-policy-of-frankfurt-on-the-main-1929/
Touloumi, O., Phokaides, P., Kylindreas, M., Martin, S. L., Zarmakoupi, M., Poulos, P. C., Loupis, D., Rammou, I., Kotsaki, A., Chatzikonstantinou, E., Kyramargiou, E., Amygdalou, K., Kalfa, K., Alifragkis, S., Athanassiou, E., Lafazani, O., Makrygianni, V. & Triantis, L., (2024). Field Notes: Athens in Flux. Architectural Histories 12(1). https://doi.org/10.16995/ah.16350
Vronskaya, A. (2017). Making sense of Narkomfin. The Architectural Review https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/making-sense-of-narkomfin Wikipedia. n.d.: Belt and Road Initiative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative
Wikipedia. n.d.: Bharatmala: Road to Prosperity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatmala
Wikipedia n.d.: Via dei Fori Imperiali https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_dei_Fori_Imperiali
U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure
Mavi Boncuk. (τουρκικό
site) https://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/conrad-hilton
https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/BRI.forum Αναφορές
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDSfFrZr8yg&list=LL&index=2
Delaware Public Archives- Building a Highway 1958 Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ndSEztzwJI&t=425s
Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus- Conrad Hilton about Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLsWd5z4oMc
Nitin Bathla and Klearjos Eduardo Papanicolaou- Not Just Roads
Eθνογραφικό
https://www.nitinbathla.com/films
PeriscopeFilm- “BUILDING A HIGHWAY” 1948 Interstate Highway Construction Educational Film
Lagaard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFiyjt5wLec
PeriscopeFilm- “HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS U.S.A.” 1953 Long Haul Trucking, Rural Road Maintenance & Repair Film
Western Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJr78XMJnY8
PeriscopeFilm- “THE STORY OF KOULA” 1951 Greek Marshall Plan, Cold War Propaganda Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaY3pytADQk&t=490s