A 160-metre section of tunnel was mistakenly excavated during the construction of Line 4 of the Athens Metro near Katehaki. This error, which deviated from the original plans, was carried out over a period of six months and was known to "Elliniko Metro S.A." during that time. The issue came to light following a parliamentary question by Communist Party MP Christos Katsotis to Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Nikos Tahiaos.

Tunnel excavated off-plan for six months–Concerns over safety and infrastructure risks

The excavation took place beneath hospitals and major roads, raising concerns about safety. Katsotis questioned whether the deviation posed risks to workers and the surrounding infrastructure and asked what corrective actions the government would take to ensure the safety of the project moving forward.

He directly challenged Tahiaos, asking:

“What specific dangers arise from failing to follow the approved study, both for workers on the Metro and for the public using roads and hospitals in the affected area?”

Minister downplays risk, blames “employee negligence”

Tahiaos admitted that the tunnel had been excavated incorrectly but downplayed safety concerns, stating that believing there were significant risks would be “excessive.” He explained that the main issue was the potential for minor subsidence on Katechaki Avenue, under which the tunnel runs. He assured that measures were being taken to rectify the situation.

According to Tahiaos, the error occurred when the construction consortium (AVAX-Ghella-Alstom) deviated from its approved method for tunnel excavation. Instead of proceeding in 10-metre increments, they excavated a 160-metre semicircular section all at once. The company did not have a safety study to support this method.

“This was not a simple mistake,” Tahiaos stated, adding that “an internal investigation is underway, and there will be consequences.”

He further commented:

“Clearly, there was negligence on the part of Elliniko Metro employees, who failed to inform the overseeing authority in time about the change in method. I cannot explain why this happened, which is why an internal investigation (EDE) will take place, and there will be consequences.”

AVAX disputes mistake, government stands firm

Despite these admissions, Tahiaos insisted that the Metro tunnel remains structurally sound, with continuous monitoring ensuring no dangerous subsidence. He dismissed concerns over risks to hospitals and roads above the excavation site, claiming that the tunnel’s depth of over 20 metres provides stability.

The construction consortium AVAX disputed that an error had occurred, arguing that the disagreement was over the method of digging an auxiliary tunnel under a hospital rather than a fundamental mistake.

However, Tahiaos contradicted this, stating: “This is not an auxiliary tunnel; it is an underground depot for Metro trains.”

“No justification for mistakes,” says minister

Following the controversy, Tahiaos clarified that while “mistakes cannot be justified in such projects,” safety remains a top priority, and corrective measures are being implemented to ensure that the project proceeds without further issues.

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