Athens Metro Line 4 tender to be launched regarding precursory works

A new supplementary tender regarding precursory works for new Athens Metro Line 4 will be launched in the next few weeks by Attiko Metro. As the CEO of the company, Mr. Thodoros Papadopoulos said at Ypodomes.com, it will be a tender focusing on archaeological syrveys and utility networks’ shifts. The tender is almost fully prepared.

The cost of the project, according to Mr. Papadopoulos, is around 40mn euros and will run before the tender for the main project which includes tunnelling works, the construction of stations and the shaping of the future stations’ surrounding areas. This move, essentially, intends to avert usual setbacks that delay Metro projects, providing a clear horizon for the main project.

In this way, it is expected that the contractor will enter the stations’ construction sites in 2018 and begin both archaeological surveys and consultations with the utility companies (water supply, sewage, telecommunications, electricity, gas, etc.).

This tender pursuant to law 4412/2016, provides for the breakdown of the project in the two distinct parts: its main scope and the so-called “precursory works”. This second part also involvess expropriations. This tender will be the first, major crash test on whether this logic will actually protect the project from arbitrage, delays and extra costs and will contribute to its timely delivery.

Precursory works will be initially funded by national resources until the entire project is included in NSRF 2014-2020 package. The main project for the construction of the new 13-km long line, costing 1.45bn euros (VAT excluded or 1.8bn euros incl. VAT) has already been activated with the first phase of the main and the participation of 4 major joint ventures. The construction phase is expected to start in 2019.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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