The project, combined with new interchanges and a new internal road network, is expected to reduce the journey from Elliniko and Argyroupoli to the Agios Kosmas beach from at least 25 minutes to just a few minutes, according to the municipality of Elliniko-Argyroupoli.
The municipality said the underground traffic tunnel will help reconnect the area with its coastline after about 80 years of separation caused by Poseidonos Avenue, the former Athens airport grounds and Vouliagmenis Avenue.
The tunnel forms part of The Ellinikon, the redevelopment of the former international airport into a mixed-use urban district with housing, commercial facilities, hotels, recreation areas and public green spaces. The scale of the project makes transport infrastructure essential to connecting the new development with surrounding neighborhoods.
The Poseidonos Avenue tunnel will have six traffic lanes, while the wider coastal road network will comprise 12 lanes, according to the municipality.
Through traffic between Piraeus and Vouliagmeni will be able to bypass the coastal front, easing pressure on local roads. Separate connections will serve the marina, Agios Kosmas beach and the neighborhoods of lower Elliniko, while new interchanges and internal roads will provide alternative routes for residents of neighboring municipalities.
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The municipality also maintains that the state should be responsible for maintaining the public road, without imposing tolls on motorists.