The expansion of Kymi Avenue is maturing step by step

The maturation of the first extension of Attiki Odos is progressing at full speed. The project of extending Kymi Avenue to the National Highway, through an urban tunnel over 2 km, will relieve congestion of large sections of Attiki Odos and Kifissos Avenue. The goal of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is for the auction to take place by the end of 2021, so that the projects can start in 2023.

Currently, the things are in full swing for the design maturation of the project, which is part of the overall design of the main roads of the Basin. By decision of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Costas Karamanlis, the recruitment of a technical consultant proceeds who will undertake the elaboration of cost-benefit analysis and the traffic study for the updating of the traffic data of the extension, which will be implemented as a public project.

It is reminded that the planning of the competent ministry includes a total of three new extensions of Attiki Odos, with a total budget of 1.5 billion euros, with the more mature one being that of Kimi Avenue. The other two concern the extension to the port of Rafina and the urban tunnel of Ilioupoli. However, decisions on the fate of these extensions are expected within 2022, as the existing concession of Attiki Odos has passed into the hands of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

The extension of the existing Kymi Avenue, with a total length of 3.8 km and a budget of about 430 million euros, had been planned since the construction of Attiki Odos, with which they are communicating vessels. The project has a Decision of Approval of Environmental Conditions (AEPO) with effect until 5-8-2024, which includes all the additional categories and stages of studies that will make the project complete, but there are points that need to be updated in order for this to be ready for auction.

This means that the necessary studies should, after the promotion for inclusion of the project in the NSRF, be prepared very soon. However, due to the fact that about 20 years have passed since the initial contract for the design maturation of the project, documentation issues for the traffic planning are raised at the present time, which will be judged whether they affect the other approved studies (road construction, electromechanical, statics, etc.).

In particular, as mentioned in the decision, the traffic planning elements, such as traffic loads, annual average daily traffic, etc., were based on the relevant study of Attiko Metro and are included in the initial environmental permit of 2001, while projections for future scenarios of demand development. arrive by 2025.

It is noted that, today, a series of traffic studies show that with a time horizon of 2027, there will be significant cores 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.

The extension of the Attiki Odos to Kymi Avenue and the Athens-Lamia national road to the Kalyftakis junction is expected to serve an average daily traffic of 30,000 vehicles, which will travel between the center of Athens, including the areas of Psychiko, Halandri, Marousi north of Kifissia.

The value of the technical consultant’s contract, estimated for a period of one year, will amount to a maximum of 60,000 euros, not including the corresponding VAT. The project “Completion of the study of Kymi Avenue from Eleftheri Avenue Elefsina – Stavrou-A / D Spata (Attiki Odos) to the uneven junction (A / K) with E.O.No1”, is promoted for inclusion in the NSRF and must in a very short time period, in order for the project to be ripe for auction, to prepare all the studies required for this purpose.