Plans for road connection between Elliniko and Athens International Airport via Argyroupolis Tunnel

The connection of Elliniko area to Athens Airport, El. Venizelos, via Argyroupolis Tunnel is now under consideration. According to information of ypodomes.com, a crucial step was taken last Friday, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

In the cooperation framework, decisions were made regarding the procedures for determining the evaluation criteria -and their weight- as well as the procedure for the evaluation of Attica’s road axes to be implemented in the next period, which appear to be finalized within the basic scenario.

The document that has been composed by a joint working group highlights the willingness of the Ministries to cooperate on the activation and alignment with Attica’s Regulatory Plan, following what was said at the joint meeting between the Secretary Generals.

Attiki Motorway extension and other road projects

According to the same sources, issues are also being discussed, at a Secretary Generals’ level, regarding major structural intervention projects, both concerning Attica’s Regulatory Plan and the plans of Infrastructure and Transport Ministry for the extension of Kymis Ave., the extension to Rafina (via the Airport), Ilioupolis Urban Tunnel (completion of Athens Intermediate Ring Road), Salamina-Perama underwater Road Link, etc. as well as their relevance to the development of fixed-track networks (i.e. Metro, Light Metro or Tramway and Suburban Railway), as it is provided in the ARP.

The cooperation axes include the exploration of solutions for road inteconnection of Elliniko area and Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”. The finalization of the investment in Elliniko plays a crucial role in connecting the area with the Airport and could even be considered necessary if one considers the traffic load that will be developed in the area upon the projects’ completion.

Of course, this would not -automatically- mean qualifying Argyroupolis Tunnel (in whatever form it’s decided), for implementation. As the same sources point out at ypodomes.com, there are 6 basic scenarios on how this connection could be made, ranging from having a road tunnel, a train tunnel (Metro or railway), alternative routes (via Vari-Koropi road axis) and more.

What is of value at the moment is that a scenario that was introduced in 2009, i.e. Argyroupolis Tunnel, is re-activated and it is no longer confined to the consideration of road interconnection only, but within a holistic approach and with full respect for the Regulatory Plan of Attica region (in order to avoid adventures in the Council of State).

The apparent shifting of interest towards fixed-track projects from clasic roads may eventually bring to the surface a dual project or the dominance of the fixed-track means of transport.