Stretching 861 kilometers across modern-day Albania, Macedonia and Greece, the stone-paved road made the going easy for charioteers, soldiers and other travelers. It was up to 9.14 meters wide in places and was dotted with safety features, inns and service stations.

``This was a busy road, and the Romans managed to make it completely functional,'' said archaeologist Polyxeni Tsatsopoulou.

Built between 146 and 120 BC under the supervision of the top Roman official in Macedonia, proconsul Gaius Egnatius, the highway ran from the Adriatic coast in what is now Albania to modern Turkey, giving Rome quick access to the eastern provinces of its empire.

Ancient engineers did such a good job that the Via Egnatia remained in use for 2,000 years, sticking to its original course even as its paving slabs were plundered for building material. But over the last century, what is visible of it has dwindled to less than three kilometers.

Now it is being reincarnated as the Egnatia highway spanning northern Greece and set for completion in 2008. This 684km highway costing nearly US$8 billion (HK$62.4 billion) runs more or less parallel to the Roman road and crosses it several times.

An excavation near the town of Komotini, 274km east of Thessaloniki, revealed the Romans' sophisticated road-building techniques. A central partition of large stones protected charioteers from oncoming vehicles, with similar barriers on the verges.

``This prevented chariots, wagons and carts from skidding off the road,'' said Tsatsopoulou.

She said a driver would hold the reins with the right hand and wield the whip with the left, so the Romans made drivers stay left to avoid the lash of oncoming riders.

There were inns every 50-60km and post stations, the Roman equivalent of gas stations, every 11-22km.

``These post stations had spare beasts, as well as ... vets, grooms and shoesmiths,'' said Tsatsopoulou.

Archaeologists also discovered ruins of military outposts, checkpoints and camps, with guard posts built near narrow passes to curb highway robbery.

Greek Culture Ministry officials are hoping to turn the surviving highway remains into an archaeological walk for tourists, said Tsatsopoulou.

The Romans conquered Greece in 146 BC, although Macedonia had come under Rome's control 20 years earlier.

ASSOCIATED PRESS