New metro line held up by Kolonaki residents
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
The new line planned for the Athens Metro (Attico Metro) will be 8.1 km long and will begin at Veikou Park (Alsos Veikou) passing through Galatsi, Kypseli, Evelpidon courts, Alexandras Avenue, Exarchia, Akadimia, Kolonaki, ending at Evangelismos and will cost 900 million euros.
The tunnel boring machine will dig under the most densely populated neighborhoods in Athens, realizing the largest metro network after Line 1 was inaugurated in 2000.
This will actually be Phase 1 of Metro Line 4, which will be funded by 50% by the European Investment bank through a 450 million euro loan and 50% through the new NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework).
It is estimated that the new line will serve 254,000 commuters daily, raising the number of daily passengers along the grid to 1,832,000.
So far the biggest impediment to the project are reactions to the construction of a station at Kolonaki by local inhabitants and owners that fear the construction will impede commercial activities. Attico Metro SA has been directed by minister Mihalis Hrysohoidis to look into alternate venues, like a station at Koubari street.
However, the possibility of totally doing away with a stop at Kolonaki is also on the table. Managers at Attiko Metro admit that in such an eventuality plans will have to be redrawn leading to delays in construction. Current plans took eight months to finalize.
