The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named “IPPODAMOS” has arrived at AGHIA VARVARA Station having bored a total of 598 meters of tunnel in the Metro Line 3 Extension to Piraeus (7.6 km. of tunnel, 6 stations). The TBM, which started its journey from the Start-up Shaft in Aghia Varvara district, advancing inconspicuously and without causing any disturbance to the city’s activities, keeps on boring the tunnel towards KORYDALLOS Station, where it is expected to arrive before the end of 2014. A total of 6.5 km of tunnel are anticipated to be constructed using the ΤΒΜ, while the remaining part of this extension – beginning and end of the Project – shall be constructed using conventional methods (underground excavation). Currently, more than 700 employees of various disciplines are working in the stations under construction, namely AGHIA VARVARA, KORYDALLOS, NIKEA, MANIATIKA, PIRAEUS and DIMOTIKO THEATRO, where worksites are in full swing, while until the project is completed, approximately 2000 persons are expected to be employed, in order to render possible the commissioning of the Metro Extension to Piraeus by 2017.
The Chairman and Managing Director of ATTIKO METRO S.A., Mr. Christos Tsitouras, accompanied by the Mayor of Aghia VARVARA Municipality, Mr. George Kaplanis, visited today AGHIA VARVARA Station of the Metro Line 3 Extension to Piraeus, and made the following statement: “The construction works for the Metro Extension to Piraeus progress smoothly and the TBM has already arrived at AGHIA VARVARA Station. This Project constitutes a major 660,000,000 EURO investment on areas of Piraeus Municipality and other neighboring Municipalities currently facing acute traffic problems and receiving sub-standard services in terms of Public Transport Modes. The most significant transport and environmental project in Athens progresses rapidly, contributing in a decisive way to economic growth”.
Modern Metro Stations shall be constructed in the Municipalities of the wider Piraeus area (Nikea, Korydallos, Aghia Varvara) offering comfortable, reliable and rapid transport services to the residents of the western suburbs of Athens. It is estimated that Metro Line 3 Extension to Piraeus shall serve 130,000 passengers on a daily basis, thus reducing the private vehicles circulation by 23,000 per day, as well as CO2 emissions by 120 tons, while the trip time from Piraeus Port to the Airport shall be just 45 minutes.
With completion of this Project, a vital Transportation Hub is expected to be created at PIRAEUS Station, connecting two Metro Lines (Lines 1 and 3), Piraeus Port, the Suburban Railway and the Tramway Extension to Piraeus (5.4 km of single line and 12 stops) already under construction, facilitating thus transfers to/from all public transport modes. Moreover, connecting Piraeus Port with Athens International Airport through the Metro Line 3 Extension shall generate substantial growth that will benefit both the wider Athens area and the national economy in general.
