Large infrastructure projects will change the map of Attica

The new suburban railway line that will connect the center of Athens with Western Attica, the connection with the ports of Rafina and Lavrio, as well as the extensions of the Attiki Odos highway, with a total budget of over 1.5 billion euros, will change the transport map of Attica. The prospects of freight transport focusing on the Thriasio Pedio, but also the increased needs for transportation within the city due to the creation of new development poles such as the large Hellinikon project, bring new factors into play for the capital.

With Line 4 of the Athens metro in the pipeline after 4 years of delays, new transport projects have come under the focus of the Ministry of Infrastructure, in order to decongest key traffic axes, but also to open new perspectives.

In the near future, as the Secretary General of Infrastructure, George Karagiannis, said in an interview yesterday, the extension of the Suburban Railway in West Attica will be tendered. This will significantly enhance the lives of citizens in the areas of Aspropyrgos, Elefsina, Loutropyrgos and Nea Peramos as well as Megara, and also the movement of workers in these areas.

At the same time, it will give additional development opportunities to the companies of the region and new opportunities in the activities of the Logistics chains, given the proximity of the areas with the Thriasio Pedio. In essence, the project will upgrade to normal gauge and turn  the old  line, which has been abandoned for over 15 years, into a modern railway line.

The project of the  36 km long new line, from Ano Liossia to Megara has been included in the national proposals of the Recovery Fund, which is accompanied by very tight implementation schedules, with funding of 85 million euros. It should be noted that in 2018 a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between ELPE, OSE, ERGOSE and the Municipality of Elefsina for joint immediate action so that the Suburban Railway will reach Elefsina, in a first phase. ERGOSE took responsibility for supervising all studies, with funding from ELPE.

The studies for the extensions of Attiki Odos are in progress

In the coming months, the  3.8 km long extension of Kymi Avenue, will be tendered, of which more than 2 km will be through an urban tunnel. The project is expected to serve an average daily traffic of 30,000 vehicles travellig between the center of Athens, including the areas of Psychiko, Halandri, Maroussi, and the Athens-Lamia National Road north of Kifissia.

It is noted that the extension of the existing Kymi Avenue was planned during the construction of the Attiki Odos which it junctions. Today, a series of traffic studies show that in a time horizon of 2027, there will be significant hubs of traffic congestion in the wider metropolitan area of ​​Attica, including large sections of Kifissos Avenue and Attiki Odos. These will be decongested by the expansion of Kymi Avenue.

At the same time, according to Mr. Karagiannis, the studies for the new extensions of Attiki Odos are maturing, with a total budget that will exceed 1.5 billion euros. Among the extensions, the extension of the Western Periphera Routel of Ymittos to Vouliagmeni, with the urban tunnel of Ilioupolis, and a parallel upgrade of the avenue to Elliniko, holds an important position. Also, an extension to the port of Rafina is planned.

Finally, by summer, ERGOSE will begin the tender procedures for the railway interconnection of the ports of Rafina and Lavrio with the network of the Proastiakos Railway through the  competitive dialogue process. The budget of the two projects amounts to 300 million and 380 million euros respectively.