On 22.03.2017 a TBM broke through at Maniatika Station on the Athens Line 3 extension to Piraeus. By the end of March 67% of the tunnel had been completed which equates to 50% of the entire Project. The project, had been awarded to the joint venture of J&P–Αvax ΑE–Ghella Spa–Alstom Transport SA, and involves the construction of the tunnel for the Line 3 Extension extending from the station in Aghia Marina (Municipality of Egaleo) as far as the station of Dimotiko Theatro in Piraeus.
The tunnel is approximately 7.55km long, 6.51 km of which was constructed by a TBM and the remaining kilometers bored by using the NATM underground method. The extension includes 6 new stations: Aghia Varvara, Korydallos, Nikea, Maniatika, Piraeus, Dimotiko Theatro and 7 intermediate ventilation shafts.
The project had been delayed by approximately 3 years this was due to technical problems, administration mistakes, legal issues and interventions by local agencies. It is estimated that the works for the boring of the tunnel and TBM-related works in all stations will have been completed by the end of this year. The first 3 stations (Aghia Varvara, Korydallos and Nikea) will be ready to be commissioned at the begining of 2019; Maniatika Station will be ready in the beginning of 2020 ; the remaining sections of the Project will be commissioned by the end of 2020.
Piraeus Station is planned to accommodate a major Transportation Hub in view of connecting two Metro Lines (Lines 1 and 3), the Port, the Suburban Railway and the Tramway which is planned to serve this area as well thus facilitating, transfers between by all means of transport.
Upon the completion of the Project, Line 3 will be 50km long with 27 stations.
The Project will drastically change the Athens transportation map and will improve the quality of life in the entire Attica basin. The trip from the Port of Piraeus to the Athens International Airport will only take 55 minutes instead of 1 hour and 45 minutes it currently takes. Click gr/14 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.ametro.gr. 17/17.
