Panepistimiou Ave, Faliro Coast Projects Shelved, Despite Minister’s Assurances

Panepistimiou Street project (Re-think Athens).

Plans to revamp central Panepistimiou Avenue as well as the property along the Faliro coast have been shelved despite Infrastructure Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis’ assurances in November that the projects were going ahead as scheduled.

Faliro coast project.

According to Ta Nea daily, after consulting with the EU Commission, the two projects have not been included in the ministry’s Operational Program for Infrastructure, Transport, Environment and Sustainable Development for the 2014-2020 period amounting to 5.2 billion euros.

Last month, the European Commission had expressed its objection to works along the Faliro coastal front and along central Athens Panepistimiou Avenue, claiming that plans were “ornamental”, “touristy” and “redundant”.

In response, the ministry said the Athens and Faliro plans were put on the backburner because it was obliged to give priority to other projects, which would, among others, create new jobs. According to the Commission, the completion of the approved projects will create a total of 82,000 jobs.

Major projects which got the green light include the completion of the Athens and Thessaloniki metro lines, the completion of parts of the national highway between Patra-Pyrgos, the construction of a water supply network on the Ionian island of Corfu, the construction of sewage treatment plants and sewerage networks for the Attica towns of Nea Makri, Marathon, Rafina and Artemida, the expansion of the suburban railway line to Koropi and Lavrio Port and the completion of waste treatment plants in Ano Liosia and Fylis.