A 160-meter semicircular tunnel appears to have been mistakenly excavated during ongoing work to built Metro Line 4 in Athens, prompting intense criticism from the opposition which expressed safety concerns and called for immediate corrective action.
The error was disclosed by Greek Communist Party (KKE) MP Christos Katsotis who tabled a relevant question to Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Nikos Tachiaos.
The tunnel was dug under the Katehaki Avenue, a main road artery surrounded by hospitals and public buildings, raising concerns about potential safety risks for both workers and the public, the MP told Parliament and the minister.
Katsotis wondered how it was possible for the consortium building Line 4 to excavate 160 meters in the wrong direction without Elliniko Metro – the public company formerly known as Attiko Metro and responsible for the Greek capital’s subway system – or the Transport Ministry noticing it.
“How did Elliniko Metro SA, which has assured us that it is supervising the works on a 24-hour, seven-day basis, not realize that the tunnel had been opened for 160 meters, over 6 months?”
“The AVAX-Ghello-Alstom consortium continued excavation despite being aware of the deviation,” he added.
Tachiaos acknowledged the error but downplayed the safety concerns, saying that while “minor subsidence” on Katehaki Avenue was possible, there was no immediate danger, and confirmed that the consortium had been ordered to revert to the original plans.
The issue stemmed from a procedural misstep rather than a structural flaw, he claimed, adding that the mistake was not expected to cause major structural problems. [ekathimerini]
Greek professionals at work…nothing else to say…
We have been building a “subway/LRT” in Toronto since 2007. We are still waiting for it to be completed and to start working. Just to put things into perspective.