Sample of Completed and Ongoing Projects
Greece has experienced a boom in underground construction resulting in the development of notable tunnelling and underground projects. This stretches from new metro line extensions to both major motorway tunnels, as part of the Trans-European Networks (TEN) and long railway tunnels. Moreover, many other underground projects could be highlighted including mining works, Underground Hazardous Waste Repository etc.
Athens METRO – Extension Line
Since March 2012, the METRO Line 3 extension to Piraeus is under construction and approaches completion. The 7.6 km long new Metro line 3 will consist of 6 modern Metro Stations. 6,5km of the tunnels were constructed using TBM. The Metro Extension to Piraeus will serve approximately 132,000 passengers on a daily basis.
Tunnelling excavation works are completed, and works are currently under way for the construction of the stations.
Thessaloniki METRO
The first Metro Line of the second largest city of Greece, Thessaloniki, is under implementation.
The project includes 18 underground stations, ~14.4km of tunnelling and a 50,000m2 depot in Pylea area. Approximately 80% of the total tunnels’ length were constructed by two EPB – TBMs. The excavation and final lining installation of the twin single-track tunnels has been completed. State of the art construction methods, driverless trains and modern operation systems were specified and implemented.
The Project focuses on minimizing the impact on the highly congested streets of the Thessaloniki City Centre and on providing safe transportation services to the densely populated urban areas. The Metro line alignment was designed at significant depths in order to minimize the possibility of interventions with archeological findings which were indeed expected to be encountered within the historical centre of Thessaloniki.
Approach Railway Lines (Three bridges area) Towards the Central Athens Railway Station
The €66M budgeted project, involves the construction of a 2.36 km long four-track rail corridor, 60% of which will be a fully underground alignment in an urban environment.
Tithorea – Domokos Railway Line Section
Central Greece
The project involved the construction of the new 106 km long Double High Speed Railway Line Tithorea – Lianokladi – Domokos, in central Greece, which deviated the old mountainous railway alignment. The design speed is 160-200km/h. The alignment which follows a flat course through the Sperchios river valley and ends up at Lianokladi Railway Station, crosses the Kallidromo mountain with twin tunnels, 9,038 m long each. Further to the north the railway alignment crosses the Othris Mountain with twin tunnels as well, 6,380 m long each. The project became operational in late December 2018.
Athens – Thessaloniki Highway (E-75)
The new Evaggelismos – Skotina highway alignment section which includes 3 twin tunnels of a total length of 11 km became operational in mid 2017. It includes T1 dual carriageway twin tunnels (2000m long), T2 dual carriageway twin tunnels (6000m long) which is classified as the longest in Balcan region (SE europe) and Platamonas T3, dual carriageway twin tunnels (2700m long).
Moreover, an upgrade of the Katerini 1100m long Cut & Cover highway section was recently completed. The upgrade mainly included installation of fire-resistant panels in order to enhance fire resistance of the structure, construction of new drainage system with firetraps, signals and ventilation system.
Korinthos – Patra Highway
The new Korinthos – Patra highway which was fully completed in 2017, includes five tunnels that became operational during 2017. It includes the Mavra Litharia twin tunnels (1200m long each), Platanos twin tunnels (1900m long each), Volimis single tunnel (550m) at the southern branch of the highway, Panormos single tunnel (550m) at the southern branch of the highway and Panagopoula twin tunnels (4000m long each). The four other tunnels of the highway which became operational in 2016 include Chelidoni single tunnel (480m), Derveni single tunnel (629m), Aigira single tunnel (800m) and Akrata single tunnel (300m) all of them at the southern branch of the highway which crosses the norther part of Peloponnese.
Ionia Highway
Within 2017, four twin tunnels of a total length of 11,2 km were completed and became operational along the new 196km long highway alignment connecting Rion–Antirion Bridge and Ioannina. These are Makyneia tunnel (542m long), Klokova tunnel (2950m long), Kalidona tunnel (1200m long) and Ampelia tunnel (900m long).
Aposelemis Tunnel (Crete island)
A 3.43km long tunnel of the Water Diversion Project for enrichment of the Aposelemis dam reservoir in Crete island. It was constructed by a double shield TBM (4,35m final lining internal diameter). It crosses various geological formations (native limestone, shale and phyllite formations and Dolomite/Limestone), whereas various faults and fracture zones, large karst cave and zones with gases were encountered. Tunnelling works, began in March 2015 and was completed in July 2017.
Athens – Patras Railway: Rododaphni (Aigio) - Psathopirgos - Patra (Bozaitika area) Section
The project involves the construction of the infrastructure for the new 32km long double high speed Athens-Patras Railway line. The civil works included the Panagopoula twin tunnels, which was completed within 2017, and foreseen approximately 4,800 m long per branch tunnelling works, entrance / exit cut & covers and cross adits every 500m as well as two (2) Cover & Cuts (in Ag. Vassileios area, 625,97 m long, and in Rio area, 392,20 m long).
Xanthi – Echinos – Greek/Bulgarian borders road axis (Vertical axis 70 of Egnatia Highway)
The construction of two tunnels, approximately 120m long, along the new highway alignment connecting Xanthi – Sminthi – Echinos – Greek-Bulgarian borders has been almost constructed in the area Dimario-Greek/Boulgarian borders, while two others (475m and 170m) have been also decided to be excavated in order to avoid great landslide areas.
Kassandra mines
The northeastern side of Halkidiki, in northern Greece, has a long history of mining activity. Currently three exploitation areas exist namely Olympiada area with an estimated mined production of 11.5 million tons of ore, Skouries area of the world-class porphyritic deposit with an estimated mined production of 146.2 million tons of ore and Stratoni area with total reserves of 1 million tons of ore. The overall development of Kassandra mines is considered as a mega-project with numerous challenging civil works (surface and underground) and earthworks. In underground infrastructure, the most notable works completed or currently under construction include Kokkinolakkas stream diversion tunnel, 1,140m long, Olympias main access tunnel, ~9km long, Skouries spiral decline, ~5.5km long and Skouries access shaft, ~700m deep.
