The construction firm AEGEK yesterday hit back at claims that financial problems have prevented it from giving a date for when a section of Line 3 of the metro will be shut down, saying that the six-month closure will begin sometime in October.

The section of Line 3 from Ethniki Amyna station to Athens International Airport will be closed for six months so that three new stations, Holargos, Nomismatokopeio and Aghia Paraskevi, can be completed.

AEGEK said that any financial problems that the company may have had have been resolved and that work on the construction of Holargos station in northeastern Athens had been held up because of archaeological finds.

Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA) officials told Kathimerini’s weekly English-language newspaper Athens Plus last month that extra buses would be made available for the thousands of commuters who will be affected by the shutdown. They said details would be announced when a date is given for the closure.