The Minister of Infrastructures and Transport Kostas Karamanlis made the first visit – inspection in a worksite of the Athens Metro Line 4.
Mr. Karamanlis, along with the Deputy Minister responsible for Infrastructures George Karayiannis, visited the Katehaki worksite, in which the boring the relevant shaft has already commenced; this shaft will be the entering point for the first “Metromole” (TBM) at the beginning of 2023.
During the aforementioned visit, Mr. Karamanlis was accompanied by the General Secretary of Infrastructure Maria-Elli Gerardi, the CEO of ATTIKO METRO S.A. Nikolaos Kouretas, the Chairman of ATTIKO METRO S.A. Nikolaos Tachiaos, the Managing Director of AVAX Group Konstantinos Mitzalis, as well as the Manager of the J/V responsible for the construction of the Metro Line 4 Project Nikos Spyridonakos.
In line with the time schedule, by autumn 2022 the construction of the shaft next to 401 General Military Hospital of Athens would have been completed and the new state-of-the-art TBMs, currently manufactured in Germany, would have arrived in Greece. The first TBM will commence its activities from Katehaki shaft, the second one will start from Veikou shaft, and both TBMs will finally “meet” at Evangelismos.
These are state-of-the-art machines ensuring zero disturbance. As of autumn 2022, the aforementioned worksite will be operational on a 24h basis, 7 days a week, while works will be executed underground, without causing any disturbance; in early 2023 the first meters of the tunnel would have already been bored.
Upon completion of Line 4, citizens would travel from Goudi to Kypseli in 13 minutes and from Alsos Veikou to Exarhia in 7 minutes
Karamanlis: A project that will change our daily lives
Mr. Karamanlis stressed that this was an extremely important day, since many years after the construction of Metro Lines 2 and 3, the worksites for the construction of Line 4 are now finally in operation.
“We are in Katehaki worksite, where in 1994, 28 years ago, one of the two TBMs that bored the tunnels for the Metro Lines 2 and 3 started its operation activities. This is the very same point where works for Metro Line 4 will initiate. Let’s not forget that this is a project – and, to be honest, not the only one – that has experienced too many difficulties; a project which was significantly delayed, a project that we managed to unblock in a very short time period”.
“To our great satisfaction we are witnessing the fact that the project progresses well ahead of the time schedule.
Apart from this worksite, there are operational worksites all over the capital; a fact that certifies how determined is the government of Mr. Mitsotakis and the relevant Ministry to make this project progress as rapidly as possible”.
“This is a project that will change the every-day life of the Greek citizens, strictly respecting the environment. At this point, let me remind you that for the first time we have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Municipality of Athens, i.e. ATTIKO METRO S.A. and the company “ANAPLASI ATHINAS S.A.” have concluded an agreement, so that not only the balance of greenery in Athens remain unaffected, but 2000 additional trees be planted. Even the more so, in PANEPISTIMIOUPOLI Station, we are planning to increase greenery by four times. Therefore, this is a project necessary for Athens, which is being implemented showing the greatest respect for the citizens of Athens and the environment”.
These were some of the statements made by the Minister of Infrastructures and Transport K. Karamanlis.
Karayiannis: We are struggling for a more humane city
“In a few months, two state-of-the-art TBMs will commence tunnel boring works for the construction of the Metro Line 4 from the two ends of the Line, Katehaki and Veikou. During the tunnel construction phase, Katehaki worksite will operate on a 24h basis, 7 days a week. There is no time to waste. Athens and Attica Basin have no time to lose, they need solutions to the traffic problem. Commissioning of Line 4 equals to 53,000 less vehicles and 340,000 additional Metro passengers on a daily basis in Athens, a city to be “green” and more humane”.
These were some of the statements made by the Deputy Minister responsible for Infrastructures G. Karayiannis.
Facts concerning Katehaki TBM shaft
The first TBM to construct approximately 5.5km of tunnel extending from from Katehaki to Evangelismos will be “hosted” in a worksite area of approximately 75,000m2. A part of this surface, used as parking area by 401 Hellenic Air Force Hospital (GNA), was granted to ATTIKO METRO S.A.
For the TBM lowering and assembly, a 45x20m shaft, 36.5m deep, is under construction. The excavation of the shaft is foreseen to be completed in autumn, when the TBM is expected to arrive in the worksite area for its assembly to commence.
During the construction phase, the worksite will be operational on a 24h basis, 7 days a week, so that the first tunnel meters would have been bored in early 2023.
The worksite installation works for the TBM support and operation have already commenced, such as the foundation of the (50 ton) tower crane to be used for the transfer of the prefabricated rings from the ground surface to the bottom of the shaft.
The two (2) brand new TBMs that will bore a total of 12.8kms of tunnel of the Metro Line 4 are being manufactured in Germany where their factory acceptance tests (FAT) will be performed in summer.
The tunnel boring shall commence from both ends of Line 4 (i.e. from Katehaki and Veikou shafts); both TBMs will terminate at Evangelismos, where they will be disassembled.
The TBMs are state-of-the-art machines ensuring the safety of the overlying structures during tunnel boring, as well as the minimum possible disturbance to the city.
In 1994, 28 years ago, one of the two TBMs that bored the first sections of the Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3 started its underground works from Katehaki area; to be more precise, this TBM, named “PERSEFONI”, was utilized in Line 3 section extending from KATEHAKI to SYNTAGMA Station.
Moreover, the immediate vicinity of the specific worksite with KATEHAKI station, the Metro Line 3 tunnel and Kalatrava’s pedestrian bridge, all in operation, is worth mentioning. This fact makes imperative the development of a new know-how as regards the structural monitoring. This know-how will be useful in the future, when the number of tunnels of the Athens Metro network increases.
Based on the overall planning of Line 4, once section A’ is completed, works for section B’ towards Maroussi will commence from Katehaki station too. Therefore, the subject area will be upgraded to become a transportation hub, with Metro Lines 3 and 4 connecting the northern and eastern suburbs of Athens with the centre of the city.
Metro Line 4 in numbers
- 15 stations (Alsos Veikou, Galatsi, Elikonos, Kypseli, Dikastiria, Alexandras, Exarhia, Akadimia, Kolonaki, Evangelismos, Kessariani, Panepistimioupoli, Zografou, Ilissia, Goudi)
- 85,000 m2 for redevelopment
- 300 trees have already been re-planted in the first five months of works; still pending is the re-plantation of approximately 1000 more trees at locations (plant nurseries, squares, flower beds etc.) suggested by the Municipalities of Athens, Galatsi, Kessariani and Zografou
- Urban greenery will be increased by 3,000 more trees in total
- The duration of the excavation of a Metro station is 1,5 to 2 years
- 2 TBMs will bore Line 4 Metro tunnels
- TBMs will bore 15-18m / day
- The tunnels of Line 4 will be constructed at an average depth of 30m and, locally, down to 75m
- Line 4 stations will be constructed at a depth ranging between 20m (Alsos Veikou) and 36.5m (Elikonos)
- 318 less CO2 tons and 53,000 less private vehicles on a daily basis
- 20 automatic driverless trains
- 2 transfer stations, one at Evangelismos Station and one at Akakimia Station (Panepistimio), with Line 3 and Line 2, respectively
- Alsos Veikou – Dikastiria in 5 min.
- Alsos Veikou – Goudi in 17.5 min.
- Alsos Veikou – Panepistimioupoli in 14 min.
Line 4 Innovations
- High aesthetic driverless trains, manufactured using environmental friendly, almost fully recyclable, materials
- Signaling and train control systems of advanced technology
- Platform Screen Door (PSD) system in trains and platforms for passenger safety
- Regenerative train braking system and energy return to PPC’s LV network; 1216MWh of energy will be saved on a daily basis
- Implementation of the Building Information System (BIM).
